Soul Reaper
by Pale Moon Shadow
Summary: 5 years before the new battle of souls. A new evil blade, Soul Reaper, emerged from the void threatening the world. Warriors around the world have been chosen by destiny to destroy it. Lots of writer's block. Mostly OCs. New Chapter: Ostrheinsburg Pt. 1
1. Chapter 1, The Second Omega

Cassandra came running when she heard the screams of despair echoing down the hallways of their home. She burst into a room to find her nephew on the floor, pulling his hair and screaming wildly. She quickly constrained the shrieking teenager, holding his arms to his sides and covering his mouth with her hand. He continued to struggle in her arms, the look of sheer terror and panic remaining in his face. Eventually his thrashing arms stopped and his body fell limp. He remained there, crying into his aunt's tunic. Cassandra released her grip and gently held him.

"It's all right, Patroklos. It's all over now." She said softly. She heard the door opening and glanced over. Pyrrha, who had been woken up by the commotion, peeked gingerly into her brother's room. She walked over to her brother, her night gown making soft sweeping sounds against the cold stone floor. She knelt beside her brother and put her arms around him as well. She was protecting him.

Episodes like this were quite common in the Alexandra household. It had been 12 years since Soul Edge disappeared, yet the dark energy infused into Patroklos' body still remained. Normally it wouldn't affect him with Patroklos sometimes going for months without an incident, but recently something had happened that triggered more frequent emotional breakdowns.

Patroklos was 15 years old now. He had grown quite a bit, yet was still relatively short compared to his father, Rothion. His hair remained the platinum blonde it was when he was born and he wore it short with soft spikes. He had his mother's blue/green eyes and a porcelain face. Patroklos was a little scrawny for his age yet he was quite strong, having being trained in swordplay by his aunt and blacksmithing by his father.

His sister, Pyrrha, was 16 and she had grown a lot too. She inherited her father's brown eyes and her hair was a more golden blonde than her brother's. For some reason, the dark energy infused into her body wasn't affecting her either way, but this may have been from the horrible illness 12 years ago that saw her mother forced into the unthinkable.

On the topic of their mother, Sophitia had recently fallen ill and was confined to bed. She put on a brave face for the sake of her family, but they could sometimes hear her worrying that her old wounds were aching. Her husband, sister and brother were all taking care of her. She was very grateful for their help and often yearned to see the faces of her children.

Then it happened.

Patroklos awoke one night after a nightmare. His body was covered in cold sweat and his heart was racing. He instinctively reached over to his bedside table and grabbed the Orbis Shield. He made that shield all by himself a few years ago. His father was especially proud of him for it. It was a perfect circle with a well positioned grip on the back. Patroklos had made the 6-winged motif on the front himself. Right now, it was the only decent form of self defense available to him. He threw himself out of bed and raced to the door in his night robe. He opened the door to his sister's room. A girl with white skin and brown mangy hair was kneeling on Pyrrha's bed, her lips locked over hers. A black mark spread over Pyrrha's face. The Orbis shield flew through the air, striking the girl in the torso then flying back into Patroklos' right hand. The girl leapt out of the bed and glared at him, then laughed maliciously.

"It's too late, boy. Your sister's soul is mine!" At that, she leapt out the window, smashing it. Rothion and Cassandra arrived just in time to see the body jumping out the window. Rothion rushed to his daughter's bedside. Her lips were slightly brackish and she lay still and unmoving, her eyes black and lucid, staring through the ceiling with a piercing gaze. She remained breathing and her heart was beating, but she was cataleptic. He left to tell his wife the horrible news.

Patroklos looked over at Cassandra. Her fist was closed and her eyes had a fiery rage in them.

"Hephaestus..." She cursed under her breath. Before Patroklos could respond she had left the room. The front door opened and slammed shut soon after.

Patroklos returned to his room. He sat down on the bed, resting the Orbis shield across his knees. He felt his heart sinking. He knew what was causing all these events: His emotional volatility, his mother's illness and now this. Soul Edge. The words echoed through his mind like a thunderbolt. Soul Edge.

A sparkle of light drew Patroklos out of his hypnotic state of mind. It was the Statue of Hephaestus at the Eurydice Temple. He could see it from his window. Under the full moon, he could see one of his eyes shining at him. Hephaestus was calling him to the temple. Patroklos got up and walked over to his dresser. He slipped out of his night robe and put on a black sleeveless tunic and black shorts. Then he put on his white exomis. It was supposed to be for his 16th birthday, but it didn't really matter now. He fastened the gold badges on the shoulders and tied the black and gold belt around his waist. (For those of you who are wondering, yes I did get Patroklos' outfit from Pit)

As he walked down the hallway he heard his mother's sobbing. It filled his heart with despair and fear. This was the second time she was about to lose her daughter. Would she side with the evil sword for her sake again? As the question ran through Patroklos' mind he shuddered. He couldn't let his mother go through that again. He put on his winged sandals at the door and took his laurel leaf circlet. He adjusted it, and then stepped outside.

The full moon shone over Athens brightly, illuminating every inch of the town. Patroklos slowly closed the door and headed for the Eurydice Shrine.

The trip to the Eurydice Shrine was longer than Patroklos had experiences previously. Perhaps it was the guilt of leaving the house without permission. Or maybe it was the haunting image of his sister lying lifeless on her bed. Or maybe it was the dark energy trying to slow him down. Whatever it was, it didn't stop Patroklos' journey.

The door to the temple creaked open slowly. Patroklos stepped inside and walked up to the statue of Hephaestus. For a while, there was silence. Then…

"Hephaestus…why?"

"Because a new threat is rising in the east" Bellowed a deep voice. Patroklos was shocked. Was Hephaestus really talking to him?

"A new threat? Soul Edge?" He replied.

"No. While Soul Edge has reappeared, while in the chaos of the void, a new, more sinister weapon arose. It is called…Soul Reaper."

"Soul Reaper." Patroklos repeated. The very words chilled him to the core. A glint of light caught his attention. A small ball of light was hanging in the air above him. Patroklos held out his hands. The sphere of light fell into Patroklos' open palms. There was a brilliant flash. The Omega Sword appeared, levitating above his hands. He reached out to take it. It was perfectly weighted.

"Take your mother's sword. I have purged it from the acts of violence years past." Hephaestus said. There was a slight hint of regret in his voice.

"Please…forgive my mother. She was…"

"I cannot blame your mother for the love she feels for her family. Go, my child. Go and destroy the two evil swords."

Then there was silence…

Patroklos looked at the Omega Sword. He thought about his mother, who had used this sword years ago to fight Soul Edge. His mind then wandered to the situation after that where his mother had used the sword to defend Soul Edge. He couldn't allow the sword to become an artifact of meaningless violence.

As Patroklos left the temple, he didn't realize that the Digamma Sword was missing from its pedestal.


	2. Chapter 2, The Silver Moon

The girl navigated the hallways of the abandoned temple. The walls were black with soot and the air was damp. The marks of countless demons were etched onto the walls in blood, now congealed and scorched in place. The girl was oblivious to all this. The horrible aesthetics of the building weren't going to stop her.

She was 17 and had pale, almost white, skin and hazy purple eyes. Her medium-length hair was a deep purple colour and was as smooth as a helmet, held back by a dark blue headband. She wore a dark purple haori and violet samurai pants tied with a dark pink obi. Her black boots made no sound as she moved swiftly through the corridors.

She turned one last corner and found what she had been seeking; a small ninjatō. It seemed to pulse with some kind of sinister energy. It rested on a strange altar, marked with purification symbols. Someone had obviously tried to hide this weapon by disguising it's aura with the aura of purification. The girl eyed the mysterious weapon carefully.

A strange figure dropped from the roof. The girl closed her right hand over her weapon, a silver tantō in a dark blue sheath hanging off her belt. The man drew a nodachi, surging with the same evil power as the ninjatō and pointed it at the girl.

"How nice to see you again, Miss Terugawa." He said, sneering at her.

"You haven't changed a bit, Hikage. I should have killed you when I had the chance." Her voice was cold and filled with spiteful undertones. A draft of wind rose around them, gently stirring the sinister atmosphere. There was a bright flash of light and the two people had changed positions, their blades now drawn. After about 10 seconds, Hikage fell to the floor, black fluid flowing from a single wound. The girl twirled her sword in her hand and returned it to its sheath. Hikage slowly got to his knees, laughing silently.

"You go to such lengths for your redemption, Uyuki."

"This has nothing to do with it."

"Is that so? So you have no remorse from what you did?" There was another bright flash and Hikage collapsed, a cloud of red smoke being released from his second wound.

"It haunts me everyday…"

She sheathed her blade again and examined the two evil blades closely. She was sure that they had essence of Soul Edge in them. She couldn't let these blades claim new victims. She held her left hand in front of her face, two fingers extended. A circle of white light surrounded her palm, gently pulsing and oscillating. She slammed her hand onto the blade of the nodachi. It emitted a black light and shattered apart, the evil atmosphere lifting slightly.

"Never again" She said.

She couldn't forgive herself for the mistake she made in the past. It played over and over in her mind; a strange continuous flashback, haunting her soul.

_A man and a woman stood in the centre of a large purification circle. Their daughter, then still an infant, was floating in front of them. Her eyes were a bright red colour and the air around her seemed to glow with a malicious red light. In her hand was a metal fragment, also glowing with the sinister aura. The elders of their village had managed to capture the girl in the circle and were now working on keeping it contained. Multiple battles were taking place at that moment alone. The evil aura of the metal shard and the power of the purification circle. The parent's love for the child against the hatred for the demon inside her. The will of the girl against the mind of the Soul Edge. Clearly, Soul Edge was winning all three battles, the elders tiring from their efforts and the man and woman unable to bring themselves to hurt their child._

_It was the next moment that hurt the most. The elders had all exhausted themselves and the circle fell to pieces. The girl had regained her mind, but was standing over the bodies of her parents, mortally wounded. She fell to the floor and held them. She heard her father's final words whispered into her ear._

"_My daughter... Do not…blame yourself…for this. We…will…always love you…Corundum…my dearest treasure…" She heard no other words from him ever again. The girl remained there, the blood of her parents on her hands. The metal shard was in the hand of an old man. He closed his fist and the object exploded in a flare of white light. Within the next moment, the girl and the man had disappeared._

Corundum's mind returned to the present moment. She turned her attention to the ninjatō. She clapped her hands together, and then pulled them apart slightly producing a larger circle of light. She drew on all of her power to destroy this weapon, and reduce Soul Edge's overall power. But just as she was about to release a purifying light at the weapon, a woman leaped over her and snatched away the blade. Corundum narrowly avoided releasing a full potency purging blast against her, instead using it on the corpse of Hikage. It completely vaporised, particles of white and red light gently floating around the area. For a while, there was silence, the two females eyeing each other. The woman who had taken the blade was wearing a red bodysuit and arm and shin guards. She had black hair drawn in a ponytail.

"The blade is clearly evil. How can you allow it to exist?" She asked. Her words were doused with fury.

"I still have a need for this blade. You should never have found it" She replied, tucking it away in a holder behind her back. In a moment of sheer rage, Corundum attacked her. It was a mistake, with her easily being beaten by the other woman.

"You take Soul Edge so personally. But you are useless if you let your emotions run wild" she remarked.

"I do not listen to the words of a hypocrite. You wish to destroy Soul Edge, but you draw power from it as well."

Now it was the woman's turn to attack in anger. The calm mind of Corundum prevailed as she leaped over a wild low slash and struck the woman in the back of the head with her heel. Now the two of them had sustained a considerable amount of damage, although Corundum seemed to be slightly worse off.

"Very well. Once Soul Edge is destroyed, I will allow you to purge Mekki Maru. But for now I still have to use it." And with that she disappeared into the shadows.

Corundum looked at her right hand; the same hand that had taken the lives of her parents and many others while Soul Edge had taken over her body. She hated Soul Edge more than anything in the world and wished for it to be completely destroyed forever. That woman had essence of the evil sword in that blade, but according to their battle, she seemed to be able to control its influence. Her skill was clearly greater than hers and her experience with Soul Edge was evident. She couldn't impede another warrior seeking the end to the blade, so in the end she decided to leave her be.

Corundum left the temple, plans for travelling to Europe forming in her mind.


	3. Chapter 3, The Diamond in the Rough

The Odeah Bridge, named after the great scholar Phyllis Odeah. It was constructed over a wide, deep chasm. On one side of the chasm was a road that eventually led to Athens and, on the other side, the path continued through a thick forest. Water flowed through this chasm at a high velocity all year round and almost all bridges built here collapsed. Phyllis designed the bridge to support commerce and travel. Great pillars of stone held up a solid limestone pathway. Unfortunately the increased number of travelers also attracted bandits and thieves; the forest on the other side being the perfect hideout for them. Phyllis must be turning in her grave since the bandits have stopped everyone from using the well constructed bridge.

The boy watched as the rest of his group eyed their next victim. The Neo Shadow bandits had always struck here, yet the occasional traveler would still come by kindly donating all their possessions to them before running away. The leader of the bandits waved his hand. The bandits all moved out, yet the boy stayed behind. He looked down at the ground and sighed.

He was 16 years old. He had lightly tanned skin and sea blue eyes. Like the rest of the bandits he was dressed entirely in black, but he was wearing a black hood over his head and a bandana across his face, showing only his eyes. He only fought with the bandits because he had nowhere else to go. He had lost both his parents during a massacre while he was still a child and lived with his elderly uncle until he was 12, studying and training in self defense. Then his uncle died of illness, leaving the boy to fend for his own. The bandits tricked him into joining them when he was 14.

The bandits moved in position, hiding on the narrow ledges on the side of the bridge, their trademark black bandanas gently rustling in the wind. They all had long daggers hidden in patchy sheaths to threaten their next target, a 15 year old boy carrying a sword and shield.

Patroklos walked cautiously across the bridge, his mind alert. A few people from Athens had said that a group of bandits lurked around this bridge, but no one was entirely sure who it was. He held his weapons tightly, which paid off a split second later. Patroklos abruptly turned to the right and swung his shield in a curved path forward, halting one of the bandit's strikes. He followed up with a high forward kick, sending the disorientated bandit into the rushing waters below. Patroklos took a defensive stance. 3 other bandits had jumped onto the bridge, each one armed and ready. They all ran up to him in a wild craze. Patroklos focused and kept his mind on his training. He spun around to the left while side stepping right, avoiding all of the bandit's attacks. Using the momentum of his spin as power, he struck one of the bandits in the head with the Orbis shield then did a low right sweep kick, bowling them all over. They lay in a disgruntled heap on the bridge. Patroklos quickly kicked away their daggers.

Back at the edge of the forest, the boy looked on with open curiosity, somewhat pleased that the bandits were having trouble with this victim. Then he drew his dagger and ran to the bridge when the leader roared at him for not pulling his weight.

Patroklos looked over. Someone was approaching. Patroklos readied his weapons to block the first strike.

After a few parries it became quite apparent to both of them that neither of them really wanted to fight each other. But for some reason, they decided to keep fighting, of course, not trying to take each other's lives.

"Why do you fight with the bandits? You're clearly unhappy with them." Patroklos said, swinging his sword deliberately too high.

"Because I don't have a choice." He answered, executing a very predictable low sweep kick.

"Yes you do. You can live your own life." Patroklos said, weakly striking with the Orbis Shield.

"It's not that simple." He replied, blocking with his blade. The two of them were in a deadlock, now facing each other eye to eye. "Now I have a question for you. Why is someone your age travelling through such a dangerous place with such well made weapons?"

"Because I'm on a mission."

"A mission?"

"Yes. I'm on a mission to destroy Soul Edge…" Before he could finish the deadlock broke apart. The boy stepped backwards and looked at him, shocked by the reference to the blade. Patroklos remained in his defensive stance, prepared for a sudden attack. Then he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. The boy lowered his dagger and extended his hand towards him. Patroklos tried to reach out but his arms felt like bricks and his head was spinning. Patroklos fell to the ground. Before he passed out, he saw the leader of the bandits walking towards him, a bamboo blowpipe in his hands.

When Patroklos woke up it was dark. He felt an itch just above his left shoulder where the dart had hit him. He tried to scratch it but he couldn't move. He blinked a few times and took a moment to adapt to his surroundings. He was tied to a splintery wooden chair in a dark wooden room. It appeared to be a weapon store room for the bandits, since a variety of blades and other weaponry lay messily across the floor. Patroklos shivered from the cold. He had been stripped down to his shorts and a piece of cloth was tied over his mouth.

One day, he thought. One day and he had already failed. He felt thoroughly disappointed in himself. How could he be as weak as to only last one day? Tears began welling in his eyes. He had failed Hephaestus. He had failed his mother. He had failed himself.

The door slowly creaked open and someone came in. Through his watery eyes and in the dim moonlight, he couldn't see who it was. While the door was open he could hear the loud snores of the bandits outside. The door was quietly shut and locked. Patroklos heard a rasping sound as he lit a small lantern. Orange tinted light filled the room and Patroklos could see more clearly. He recognized the person who came into the room as the boy from before although he was dressed differently now. He had brown spiky head tied with a black headband and was dressed in a black short sleeve robe with golden dragons embroidered on it, baggy grey pants, black boots and a black scarf. He had a small blue crystal hanging on a string around his neck and a rather bulky looking cloth bag was lying next to him. Now that he wasn't wearing his hood Patroklos had a proper look at his face. He looked about Patroklos' age.

The boy carefully opened the bag and took the Omega Sword from it. He slowly walked up to Patroklos. Patroklos tried to keep calm, but in the end panic took over and he shut his eyes, prepared for the worst; his tears being forced down his cheeks. Seeing his fear, the boy stopped and tried to comfort him.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." He said softly. Patroklos opened his eyes and looked up. The boy had a hand on his shoulder and his face was showing concern. From the look in his eyes, he could tell his words were sincere. The boy carefully cut the ropes holding Patroklos' legs to the chair, and then sliced across the ropes restraining his arms. He put the sword on the ground and untied the cloth around his mouth.

"Quickly. We don't have much time until I'm found out." He whispered. He took a bundle out of his bag, which turned out to be Patroklos' clothes, and handed them to him.

He slowly stood up and got dressed, still shivering from the cold. The boy went to the corner and took a black, brass-tipped staff from the disorderly pile of weapons. He fastened it to his back with a small clip on his left shoulder.

"I'm Benjamin. Benjamin Ukyo. It's nice to meet you…uh…what was your name again?"

"It's Patroklos Alexandra," He said, fastening the badges on the shoulders of his exomis, "Um…Why are you helping me?" Benjamin's face darkened a bit as he looked down at the floor.

"Because Soul Edge killed my parents" Benjamin said. Patroklos was astounded. The same sword that had put his family through such grief had taken the family of Benjamin. There was a moment of chilling silence.

"…Let's talk about this later. Right now, we have to get outta here." Patroklos finished getting dressed and obtained his weapons back from Benjamin. Benjamin opened the door slowly and looked around. The bandits were still in dream land. The two boys tiptoed down the corridor and opened the front door. Just after they stepped outside they stopped. The bandit leader was there.

"I knew you would leave us one day." The bandit leader said, brandishing two swords at the boys' necks. He had an evil smirk across his face. Patroklos and Benjamin looked at each other. A casual smile on Benjamin's face and Patroklos slight nod indicated that they were pretty much thinking the same thing.

Patroklos swung his Omega Sword in a wide sweeping motion upwards, knocking one of the swords out of the bandit leader's hand. At the same time Benjamin turned to the right and performed a rising back kick on his other hand, sending his other sword flying behind him. The bandit leader staggered backwards and glared at them. He drew a dagger from behind his back and charged. The two boys simultaneously struck him with their weapons, Patroklos' shield into his chest and Benjamin's staff across his legs. He fell, landing on his back, his dagger lodging itself in a nearby tree. Refusing to give up, he lunged at them with his bare arms. Patroklos back-flipped, striking him clean in the forehead and knocking him out cold. By the time the rest of the bandits could get there, the two boys had gone.

Benjamin led Patroklos to a small cave in the forest. He assured his new friend that only he knew about the place and that it would be safe to set up camp there. The two of them shared their stories over a campfire, each feeling the same empathy for the other. Benjamin was clearly astonished at the knowledge that another, greater sword was out there.

"So this Soul Reaper, it's stronger than Soul Edge?"

"Probably, but I've only heard a little bit about it."

"But it's clearly evil. I mean, the gods sent you to destroy it."

"I'm starting to think they sent the wrong person…" Patroklos looked down at the Omega Sword, starting to cry again.

"Hey! Don't say that. You're a pretty good fighter. You just fell into a trap, that's all."

"I should have seen it coming." He said, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Geez, you're quite the pessimist, aren't you?" Benjamin chuckled. "Don't worry. Even the greatest warriors make the most clumsy stuff-ups sometimes. Besides, it won't happen again."

"How do you know that?" He looked up. Benjamin was smiling and his fist was extended towards him.

"Because I'll be there to help you next time." Patroklos smiled and raised his fist up to meet his.


	4. Chapter 4, The Flame Swordsman

"Is everything ready, captain?" asked a young man, looking over Osaka bay from the foremast of a boat.

"Almost. Just need the rest of the passengers to board." He replied, signalling to a group of people boarding the ship. The man slid down the ropes to the bowsprit, balancing on it with one leg before leaping onto the forecastle. He was excited about this trip to Ming in China and had looked forward to it for years.

He was 23 years old in a few days and had light coloured skin and fiery red hair. His irises shared the same red shade, although this was due to a genetic condition. And guess what his favourite colour is. That's right. He was wearing a red tunic with white sleeves and long red trousers. His boots and fingerless gloves were also a red colour. A scarlet bandana was tied around his head and he had a dark red metal chest plate fastened around his torso. The combination of his dress sense and energetic personality often made him stand out in any crowd.

The exact details about his story are a bit fuzzy, but it goes something like this. His parents were travelling on a boat when it capsized off the eastern shore of Japan. A blacksmith and his wife found the red haired infant wrapped in a thick blanket in a small boat that washed up outside their coastal home. They took him in and raised him in northern Shikoku until he was about 18. He wanted to go and travel the world but the blacksmith's second son fell ill later that year. He decided to put off his travels until he was well again. It took 3 years for the son to get well again and he stayed with him for another year after that, just to make sure he was ok.

"Um…Blaze?" The man recognised his nickname. Everyone had always called him something fire related like 'Hot Head' or 'Furnace Face' or 'Kasaiko Hotaru'. Kasaiko Hotaru was the name that the Hotaru family gave the baby; meaning 'fire child'. At some point you have to wonder when all the commentary on his red hair and eyes will stop.

Blaze turned to see his adoptive brother, Aruhi, standing on the port near the bow of the ship. He was 13 and was quite short. From the height of the forecastle, he appeared even smaller. He was wearing his best clothes and his raven hair was drawn into a high ponytail. The two of them had an argument last night and had each said their fair share of nasty comments to each other.

"Aruhi! What are you doing here?" He called over the noise of the crowds. He didn't respond. He climbed up the wooden ramp leading to the deck. The captain let him through, since he knew both Kasaiko and Aruhi very well. Aruhi rushed over the deck towards Blaze. Just when he was approaching the forecastle he tripped over a loose rope. Blaze quickly caught him. Aruhi didn't look at him.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I was stupid. I didn't mean what I said and I…" Blaze cut him off before he could continue.

"Aruhi," He knelt down so they could see eye to eye and placed his hands on his shoulders. Aruhi still didn't look at him, "I know you didn't mean it. We have fights all the time."

"I should never have said it. I should never have said it." He sniffled.

"You were angry. I don't blame you. And I forgive you." Aruhi finally looked at his brother. His eyes were full of regretful tears. Aruhi threw his arms around his brother, resting his chin on his shoulder. Blaze let him cry his emotions out for a while. Eventually Aruhi stopped hugging his brother and stepped backwards. His eyes were still watering, but he offered a weak smile.

"We'll meet again, right?" He said.

"Of course." Blaze answered, before spontaneously getting him in a headlock and messing up his hair. He struggled free, laughing with his brother. Aruhi fixed his hair and abseiled down the side of the boat back onto the pier. He waved as the harbour bell rang and the ship set off. Blaze stayed on deck and waved until he couldn't see him anymore.

Blaze went to his room. It was rather small, and had a strange smell in the air. He took one of the old folded blankets off the bed to fan the smell out. A heavy clunk made him jump backwards. He looked at the dark wooden case that had fallen from his bed. His name was inscribed on it. He opened it slowly. Inside was a katana and scabbard. It was relatively short and displayed a brilliant red colour, the scabbard's red fabric cover being slightly darker. He gently touched the blade. It was warm to the touch, obviously the result of specialty blacksmithing. Blaze smiled. It was the perfect parting gift from his family.

The next few days the voyage was pleasant and uneventful. Most of the passengers talked with each other. Blaze stayed on deck and thought what he would do once he got to Ming. And Corundum stayed in the cargo bay polishing her sword.

She was sitting on a stack of crates in almost no light. Her movements were almost mechanical, the stiff scrap of fabric in her left hand moving swiftly over the silver metal. The blade seemed to sing gently, responding to the movements of Corundum's other hand. A beam of sunlight shone through a vent, casting a reflection off her blade. It caught the attention of a passing guard. He was rather large and had a massive bulk. He approached the girl.

"Hey! You can't be here." Corundum stopped polishing. The area fell into a dead silence.

"I didn't see you board either! You're a stowaway aren't you?" Corundum turned her head slightly and stared at him. Her face was neutral, yet somehow she managed to get her message across, with the guard backing away slowly. Corundum put down the rag and reached behind her. Her arm suddenly extended forward and a white object flew at the guard. It struck him in the chest and he stumbled backwards. It was a ticket; paid in full.

"E-Enjoy your stay, Miss…" And he ran off. Corundum resumed her activity as if nothing happened at all.

The sound of the Moon Fury Blade's song stopped a second time that day, after dusk. Corundum could feel it. Someone had just boarded the ship. She could feel it sinking slightly from the weight of multiple warriors. The sound of the cargo door slamming shut was the next thing that was heard.

Blaze could also feel something wrong, although not in the same way. He couldn't sleep in his room so he had tried to get some shuteye on one of the crow's nests. The sudden tilting of the ship had woken him up. He looked over the side. Strange people had boarded the ship. They were wearing black cloaks and carried axes. They walked funny, hunched over and not walking in straight lines. There was a sudden gust of wind and one of their hoods came off. Blaze gasped. The head of a lizard was revealed. Its eyes were bloodshot and blood was dripping from its fangs. Blaze watched as they advanced along the deck towards the door to the cabins.

Instantly Blaze slid down a rope and drew his blade. A flurry of red sparks flew from it as it glided out of its scabbard. The lizardmen stopped. Then one of them screeched and they all came charging at once. Blaze swung his arm in a wide circle to the left, cutting the first wave down, then turned on the spot and lunged forward, stabbing through the heart of a second. The lizardmen fell in a heap on the deck. A few disgruntled passengers peeked out of the cabin, saw them, and ducked back inside in fear. Blaze kicked a box in front of the door to block it. A glint of light caught his attention. A lizardman was coming down on him from above. There was a flash of light. Time seemed to stop for a moment, a few lizardmen halted while the others looked on confused. Corundum had suddenly appeared in front of Blaze, her sword drawn slightly, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, the lizardman in the air falling to the deck, paralysed. Corundum completely sheathed her sword and all the time-frozen lizardmen fell too, slain. Blaze stepped to her side and resumed his stance.

Within the next few seconds, all but 1 of the lizardmen were either slain or overboard. Blaze and Corundum eyed the last one, standing in a defensive stance with his axe. They watched as he raised it above his head. It began to glow a deep red colour. It was a Soul Edge fragment, made into an axe. She dashed forward to destroy it. It slammed the weapon into the deck, sending a deep red shockwave at her. She veered sideways. She was going to try and attack again, but Blaze had beaten her to it, delivering a powerful blow to it. The lizardman let go of the weapon and fell off the side of the boat. Corundum clapped her hands together and pulled them apart slightly, creating the same sphere of light she tried to use on Mekki Maru back at the temple. She slammed her hands into the weapon. It shattered and released particles of white light. She waited until the light dissipated, then bowed her head, turned and walked away swiftly.

"Wait." Blaze called to her

She stopped for a moment, not turning around.

"Thanks."

"Is that all?" Her voice was in the usual cold tone, but had a hint of warmth in it. Blaze didn't know how to respond. Corundum turned to face him.

"That weapon that last one had. It's known as Soul Edge. It's an evil blade and it must be destroyed."

"Then let me help you. I can fight."

"I know you can, and your skills with that blade are quite impressive. But you cannot begin to apprehend the danger that blade brings with it." She turned again and begun to walk away.

"I suggest that you forget everything that happened here tonight. Do not try to follow me."

"Hang on!" But she didn't. She had disappeared into the shadows of night.

When the ship arrived on the shores of China, the two warriors headed their own ways. Blaze's plans to travel to Ming had a different reason now. To search for means to destroy Soul Edge.


	5. Chapter 5, The Broken Valentine

Benjamin awoke the next morning to Patroklos screaming. He scrambled to his feet and saw Patroklos in the foetal position, his fists pulling on his hair. His eyes were wide with fear and he was breathing heavily at an excessive pace.

"Patroklos, are you alright?" Benjamin asked. He didn't respond. Benjamin rushed next to him and tried to pull his arms away. Patroklos just whined loudly and began thrashing his arms about, the back of his right hand accidentally striking Benjamin in the face. Benjamin reeled back a bit, getting anxious. He tried to constrain Patroklos' arms. Patroklos just kept screamed incoherently. The terror in his eyes worsened and he trashed about even harder. His right ankle smashed into the burned out campfire sending black soot into the air. Benjamin's concern turned to panic.. Whenever he took hold of one of his limbs he would just break free using some kind of inhuman strength. Benjamin finally managed to stop him by locking his arms around Patroklos' shoulders, restraining his flailing arms. Benjamin braced himself for a violent outburst…

Nothing happened.

As if by some miracle, Patroklos' actions ceased almost immediately. He lay limp in Benjamin's arms, trembling. Benjamin let go of him and the two boys looked at each other. There was a red mark on Benjamin's right cheek. Patroklos broke down into tears, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Benjamin. I'm so sorry." He cried, his voice muffled by his hands.

"It's ok…It's over now." He said, gently patting his back. "But…what was all that about?"

While they were sharing stories the other night, Patroklos thought it might have been better to leave out one or two details. Now that Benjamin had witnessed one of these incidents, there wasn't really a point hiding it anymore. Patroklos sat down and hugged his knees into his chest.

"You know my mother destroyed part of Soul Edge once?" He started

"Yes."

"After she did, she was wounded with a Soul Edge fragment. A woman removed it from her, but its energy remained. My sister and I were born with the evil energy infused into our bodies. I think that's the cause."

"What exactly happens to you?" Benjamin said, not thinking about it. Patroklos still decided to answer.

"I don't really know. Something usually happens and my mind starts racing through all these thoughts at once. My body starts acting by itself and I just lose control… I can remember everything clearly, but I don't really remember it happening… It's scary..." His voice trailed off and he looked away.

"But it's easy to stop you, right?" Benjamin assured, "I mean, all I had to do was restrict your arms and…"

"It's not that simple. Normally when this happens it usually lasts for a while without any sign of me slowing down. But you were able to calm me down so quickly… I… I don't understand it…" Patroklos tightened his grip around his knees. Benjamin could see the distress he was going through. He placed a hand on Patroklos' shoulder.

"Look. I don't understand it either, but I made a promise last night, remember? I promised that I would help you on your quest and that I would be there to support you, no matter what. And I intend to keep that promise." Patroklos looked back at him. No one outside his family had ever given him this kind of support before. He felt tears forming in his eyes again as he hugged the first friend he had ever made.

This was probably the most eventful thing that happened for a while. Patroklos and Benjamin spent the next few days travelling throughout Europe, searching for any information about Soul Edge. They had decided that it would probably be easier to track down Soul Edge first since only the two of them knew about Soul Reaper and there probably wouldn't be any information about it. But so far, no useful information about either of the blades was found anywhere. At the moment, they were taking a ship to London.

"This trip is going very well isn't it?" Benjamin sighed, skipping a stone over the rushing waters of The Channel.

"I can't believe that no one had any information at all…" Patroklos said, thoroughly disheartened by their poor progress. The ship was relatively empty with only a few people choosing to travel today. The only sounds you could hear were the white sails fluttering gently in the refreshing sea breeze and the gentle waves crashing all around. Patroklos closed his eyes and tried to think about what his mother would do. He dismissed that idea when images of his mother attacking a warrior hunting Soul Edge entered his mind.

London proved to be no help either; no one had any information at all and a majority of those they asked either laughed at them or snobbishly turned away, ignoring them.

"This is pointless," Benjamin finally said, "maybe we should just head back, Patro…" He stopped when he found that Patroklos wasn't there. He quickly looked around. There was no sign of him. He quickly retraced his steps, but he still couldn't find him.

Fortunately locating a boy in Grecian clothing in London was relatively easy compared to their other task. Benjamin found Patroklos standing outside a large, lavish mansion. That being said, it was rather run down and looked like no one had been in there for years. The garden was grey and lifeless and a tree had smashed into the upper right balcony, its limbs stuff and lifeless. In front of the mansion was a black metal fence. It looked extremely sturdy, and the gate was decorated with metal roses.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you!" Benjamin exclaimed, rushing up to him. Patroklos kept looking at the mansion.

"Something's here…" Patroklos' voice seemed slightly monotonous.

"What?"

"I don't know what, but something linked to Soul Edge is in here…"

"How do you know that?"

"I can feel it…I can feel its energy." He walked up to the gates. They were locked from the inside and were slightly rusty. He tried breaking through the gate bit it was much stronger that it looked. Benjamin gently nudged him aside. He produced an iron pin from his sleeve and began to pick the lock.

"You can pick locks?"

"I have to admit, being with the bandits paid off a little." He remarked as the gate creaked open. The boys walked down the dusty brick path to the front door. Benjamin picked the lock again.

"The bandits didn't seem like the people who would spend time learning stuff like this…"

"Actually the bandits kept locking themselves out of their hideout." There was a momentary lift in mood as the boys laughed. They resumed their seriousness as they proceeded inside.

The inside of the mansion reflected the outside very well. Cobwebs hung off the ceilings and dust covered everything in sight. The luxurious wallpaper was faded and peeling in some places. The door leading to the smashed balcony was also splintered open. Drafts of wind periodically entered through the door, stirring up the dusty air. The bay windows were coated in a white film, blocking most of the light from outside. Two doors were on either side of the main entrance, and a marble staircase with golden handrails was in between, leading up to the second floor.

Patroklos ascended the stairs slowly, Benjamin following. The upper level was strangely dust-free. There were two doors on either side of the room and large pictures hung on the walls. In the biggest picture was a family. An elderly gentleman in a well tailored suit smoking a pipe was seated in a chair in a portrait, looking noble and distinguished. A woman with brown hair and a red ball gown was standing behind him, sharing the same look of pride. A second woman with white hair was beside her in a dark blue ball gown. Her facial expression was essentially the same, but she was clearly not showing the same emotion. Patroklos looked for an inscription to see who they were. The one on the bottom of the frame read 'The Valentine Family'.

"Who are you?" The boys turned around. A woman was standing behind them, holding a strange looking sword. They recognised her as the white haired woman from the picture. She was wearing a black evening dress, complete with gloves, high heeled shoes and a fancy hat with a veil. She looked like she didn't take too kindly to intruders.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Before they could respond, she stabbed the sword forward and pressed the hilt with her thumb. The sword somehow transformed into a whip; several pieces of the blade being held at equal intervals by a coil of wire. It soared out at them. The boys leapt to the sides of the room as the strange weapon struck the bottom of the picture frame, knocking it off the wall. The woman released her thumb. The whip made a slight clicking noise as it reformed back into a solid sword.

"You're bandits aren't you? Come to steal from this place?" She said. She extended her sword again, this time aimed at Patroklos.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Patroklos said, blocking the strange weapon with his shield. He held the Omega Sword tightly in his right hand, taking a defensive stance to prepare for the next strike. However the woman stopped attacking them after seeing his blade. She lowered her sword and looked Patroklos in the eye.

"That sword…It's the same one that woman used…" Upon hearing these words Patroklos lowered his blade as well.

"You…You knew my mother?"

"She was your mother?" There was silence for a while. She was clearly stunned by this revelation.

The woman introduced herself as Isabella Valentine, an alchemist with considerable knowledge on the cursed sword. Patroklos and Benjamin listened intently as she explained her former connection to Soul Edge and what she learned from her previous journeys. After she finished, Benjamin told Ivy about how Soul Edge had returned. When he asked her if she could help them destroy it, she looked down at her sword.

"My old sword, Valentine, was destroyed 12 years ago. It sacrificed itself saving my life. This one is a prototype, animated by mechanical means. It is nowhere near powerful enough. I am of no use fighting the evil sword now…" She held deep regret in her voice. She paused for a moment, deep in thought.

"Follow me." She turned and entered one of the doors. The two boys followed her through several rooms to a small chamber. It was dark and damp. Mysterious circular patterns were drawn on innumerable pieces of paper, scattered on an old wooden desk. Along the walls were many wooden shelves, each filled with a variety of bottles, chests, books and strange items. Ivy took a piece of blue metal from a small chest. Patroklos felt a chill run down his spine. This was the object he could sense outside. At this proximity, even Benjamin could feel its aura.

"Do you know what this is?" She asked.

"No…but I can tell it's giving off some kind of energy. I could feel it outside. Is it related to Soul Edge?"

"Yes. This is part of the sword that was the polar opposite of Soul Edge; Soul Calibur." She paused for a moment.

"Take it. It's of no use to me now." She said, handing it to Patroklos.

Patroklos and Benjamin sincerely thanked Ivy and bid her farewell. They left England with much more than they expected. They didn't have much any new information, but the Soul Calibur fragment meant that they were actually making good progress. Deciding that Europe had no more information to offer, they began to travel east.


	6. Chapter 6, The Prettiest Flower

It was late autumn and the morning mist hung still in the air. The streets of Ming were gently splashed with fiery reds and oranges from maple leaves, gentle pinks and whites from peach blossom. The sun shone brightly over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city. The tranquillity of the city was harmonised with the singing of birds and the gentle flowing of rivers. A castle stood at the edge of the city, its red wood shining in the early morning light.

Blaze had arrived in Ming a few days ago, searching for information about Soul Edge. He quickly found out that a general in the Emperor's army had vast knowledge on Soul Edge from the history of expeditions in the city library. With the general's name, he wanted to go and search the castle for more information. But when he tried to enter the castle, he found it in lock down in preparation for a dance performance. A group called "The Flowers of Scarlet", an exquisite dance group formed from several young women, had just arrived in town as the final part of a farewell tour. Blaze watched as a gong rang out. People began gathering in front of the castle gates. A stage had been set up with bright red sheets of fabric hung form bamboo poles; a large drum was placed on one side. Then music began to play. A girl in dark green began by beating a drum in steady, low beats. Another two in bright blue continued by playing on intricately carved bamboo flutes. The melody of a lute rang over the top to complete the music. While this was all happening, a woman in a dark pink qipao and long, slender red trousers that belled out at the bottom was standing in the middle of the stage, hiding her face behind a large pink fan. The music stopped for a moment as she closed her hands, folding the fan together.

Blaze stared at her. She was beautiful. She had flowing ash blonde hair that ran in smooth curves from her head to her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue. Her cheeks were a light rose colour and a gentle smile spread across her lips. She began to dance, the platinum bangles on her wrists soaring through the air gracefully as her arms moved in time to the beating drum. Her black sandals gliding in swift, yet elegant steps like the melody of the flutes. Blaze continued to stare, mesmerized by her performance and beauty. It took him a few minutes to realise that everyone in town, even the guards, was at the performance and that the stage blocked the only vantage point into the castle. No one noticed as he scaled one of the walls and snuck inside.

Blaze searched the rooms of the various castle quickly, searching for the name of the general. In such a large, magnificent place, it would be difficult to track down one name. He had finished searching the east wing when the music stopped. Blaze froze. He could hear footsteps in the corridors. He darted into the nearest room and shut the door. He quickly ducked under a table, waiting for the people in the hallway to leave. Their footsteps made heavy clunking noises on the wooden floor. He waited; his heart was racing. All he could hear was the thumping of the floor outside and the beating of his heart inside. Blaze made a sigh of relief as the thumping sounds outside the room dimmed to nothing. He opened the door a crack. There wasn't anyone in the corridor. He quietly left and continued his search for the general's room.

He eventually found it on the far side of the west wing. It was very dark and dusty. The elaborately carved bed was made neatly with faded silk sheets. A bowl of water was rested on a table beside the bed with wilted lilies floating in it. Scrolls of poetry hung on the walls. A wooden chest stuffed with scrolls of paper, lay tucked under the table. This was what Blaze was after. He emptied its contents on the bed and began sifting through the information. Within a matter of minutes, he found abundant information in both Soul Edge and the general.

Blaze stopped looking through the scrolls when he heard more footsteps. His first instinct was to hide, but with all the scrolls on the bed, they would find him easily. In his panicked state, he didn't notice that the footsteps were much lighter. He swallowed hard as the door opened.

"Oh…so you're searching for it too?" Blaze was speechless from a mixture of shock, relief, embarrassment and curiosity. The blonde haired girl who had captivated him with her dance was standing in the doorway. From up close, she looked even more radiant than before, even in the dim light. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Um…hello?" Her voice was warm and friendly. Blaze quickly snapped out of his mindless state when he realised it was his turn to continue the conversation.

"Oh…sorry…it's just that…you're...you're so…so…" He stuttered, trying to form meaningful sentences, but failing. The girl just giggled.

"My name is Flora Tunia. Of course, you know I was the lead dancer in The Flowers of Scarlet. Now that the group has dissolved, I can travel on my own." Blaze regained his ability to talk a few seconds later.

"Oh…uh…I'm Kasaiko Blaze Hotaru, but my friends call me Blaze. You're cute…" Blaze looked away when the last two words slipped out. Flora just giggled again. Blaze could feel his face burning to almost the same shade as his hair. He quickly tried to change the subject.

"So, why did the group disband?"

"Well the flute players, Yuxin and Ailin, began to miss their parents, so they wanted to go home. Maria, the drummer, heard that her father caught an illness recently, so she wants to go home to be at his side. Serina, the lute player, wanted to do more with her life. She wants to be a fashion designer. And me…I…have something personal to attend to." Her face darkened slightly. Blaze remembered the first words she said. She clearly hadn't come to this room my coincidence. She was obviously after the same information that Blaze was seeking.

"Soul Edge?"

Before she could answer, there was a loud crash outside. Blaze rushed past Flora and down the corridor to the courtyard. A large, red giant with a massive axe was smashing the pillars, sending rubble flying in all directions. The people were scrambling to get away, fearful of this monster. Blaze drew his sword, a stream of red sparks once again flying from the hilt. The giant looked across. Blaze ran within fighting distance and held his sword in a defensive stance. The giant swung his axe vertically at the small human. He jumped to the side as it shattered the stone pavement. Blaze took this opportunity to stab its solar plexus, causing it to rear back. He swung his axe horizontally, clearly not affected by the minor wound. Blaze ducked underneath it and prepared to attack, but the giant kicked him with its enormous feet, knocking him off balance. Blaze fell on his back, his sword landing just out of his reach. The giant raised its axe up high, ready to split him in two.

The giant suddenly staggered backwards. As Blaze was reaching for his weapon, he saw Flora attacking the giant. She was holding a silver jian with a straight, smooth blade. It had a wide, but flat, pale purple hilt and a purple tassel attached on the end. Her horizontal slash had succeeded in stopping its attack, as the giant turned towards her. It swung its axe horizontally again. Flora, mimicking a dance move she had used earlier, ducked down, turned, and performed a wide horizontal slash, striking the giant in the leg. The giant stepped to the side, not prepared for this. Blaze, anxious not to be outdone by her, jumped to his feet and struck it clean across the torso with his blade. The giant was clearly struggling against this barrage of attacks. He made a powerful, inaccurate horizontal swing. Blaze and Flora simultaneously jumped back, and then lunged forward, blades outstretched. The giant gave an inhuman roar, before collapsing on the ground. The two of them panted, their adrenaline still pumping. They slowly went for a closer look.

Suddenly it extended its arm towards it's axe. Blaze swiftly raised his sword above his head and stabbed downwards, plunging his blade into the giant's heart. It exploded into a mass of red sparks that flew away into the sky.

That afternoon, Blaze waited underneath a peach tree in a garden outside town. He had asked Flora to meet him there so they could discuss Soul Edge. He looked at his sword. It still shone a warm red colour and emitted a gentle heat.

"Sorry I'm late." Flora sat down next to him. Her sword was neatly tucked into a white scabbard, tied behind her back. Blaze sheathed his sword into the scabbard tied to his waist. He told Flora about the girl he met on the ship and everything he had found out in the general's room. Flora, in turn, gave her share of information. From what they had gathered, Soul Edge had always been in the west, towards Europe.

"That girl on the ship…Did she say who she was?" Flora asked. Blaze shook his head.

"No. She just said not to follow her."

"If she has the power to purge a Soul Edge then we need to find her."

"If we're going after Soul Edge, then we'll meet her again." Blaze suddenly remembered what Flora said before.

"You said that your agenda with Soul Edge was personal. What happened?" Flora sighed. She rested her head against Blaze's shoulder. Blaze was startled by this. Flora began to talk, slightly choked up.

"Many years ago, my father found a piece of Soul Edge. Over time, my father…changed. He became violent and aggressive." Blaze gently raised his arm and placed in on Flora's shoulder. He hugged her gently, trying to comfort her. Flora paused while he did this, and then continued her story.

"Eventually, two warriors found my father. They purged him of Soul Edge's influence, but at the same time, it destroyed him from the inside. He used his last words to beg for me and my mother for forgiveness." She paused again. Remembering this story didn't make her cry anymore, but it still hurt.

"Soul Edge was destroyed 12 years ago, but now it's back. And I'm going to destroy it."

"No you're not…" Blaze stoop up and extended his hand towards her. "We are."

The falling petals of peach blossom gently fell over the two, as they agreed to hunt down Soul Edge together.


	7. Chapter 7, The Unclear Motive

_This chapter took a little longer than usual because of certain commitments. Not only that, but I had a hard time getting this story to about 1000 words. I apologise.  
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The images of the lizard like creatures that attacked the ship still ran though Corundum's mind. The servants of the evil blade, cursed by its influence, drained of their sanity, forced to fight with such malevolence. It reminded her of her own possession and the horrible acts she committed during that time. It pained her to think that such grief, regret and sorrow could be inflicted on others. Years of solitude and repentance had turned her stoic, her heart becoming encased in thick ice. She no longer cared about herself. All that mattered was that Soul Edge was ended for good, no matter the consequences.

After arriving at Qingdao, Corundum immediately boarded another ship headed for India, going against her previous plans. After tainting her sword with the blood of the lizardmen on the previous voyage, she had to reconsider her options. By observing their physical appearance and behaviour, she was certain that they were from the mainland of Asia and there were likely to be many more of them. By travelling around the south of the continent, Corundum was sure she could avoid them until she got to Europe. She didn't want to be reminded of her own pain.

After boarding the ship, she once again decided to make herself comfortable in the cargo hold. This time there were no disturbances, so the Moon Fury Blade sang its song continuously. The occasional thud of chests sliding along the smooth wooden floorboards was actually a nice accompaniment, as well as the gentle crashing of the waves against the hull.

After about three days Corundum grew restless. Something was wrong here. Corundum hardly ever became agitated unless there was a reason for it. She deduced that she was being followed. At first she thought the man from the previous journey was the culprit, but she dismissed that idea when she remembered seeing him leaving Qingdao from the port.

Two days later, the Moon Fury Blade stopped singing abruptly. Corundum's hand had dropped to her side. She slowly stood up. She sheathed her blade, and slowly walked outside. It was raining heavily, and the boat was rocking violently in the swell. Corundum stood unaffected by the storm, looking around swiftly. She could feel it. She could feel the aura of Soul Edge. Not just a fragment, not just an artifact infused with it, but Soul Edge itself. She was already facing the cursed blade. She could feel her blood throbbing through her head; her silent pulse becoming loud ominous drum beats (cliché, I know, but I think it works well).

Corundum quickly looked up. A large figure was coming down at her. She ducked to the side as two swords stabbed into the deck. The attacker fell onto his feet, eyeing the girl maliciously. Corundum closed her hand on the handle of her blade. She could feel the energy surrounding this man as well as the blade. He had pale purple skin, white eyes and hair and wore pirate clothes and armour. He wielded a large sword. Corundum recognised it immediately. The dark metal, the red veins, the distorted eye. Soul Edge.

"Foolish girl. Prepare to be destroyed."

Corundum made no reply. She focused all her energy into her blade, causing it to become encased in a powerful purification aura. She had practiced this art for years. Lightning struck the mast of the ship, igniting it and sending bits of wood, rope and fabric down on the ship. Corundum charged at this man, her blade drawn and ready.

The fight was intense; the man's powerful attacks splintering the deck, but missing the girl who dodged swiftly and performed fast strikes. The man didn't have time to react to Corundum's attacks, eventually losing grip on Soul Edge and falling backwards. Corundum drew all her strength from her body and mind, preparing to purify this blade. Her arms glowed in a brilliant white light, blinding the man. She slammed her arms into the cursed blade.

What happened next is confusing to say the least. The force of the explosion knocked the man over the edge of the boat. Soul Edge was greatly weakened by the blast, releasing red sparks and white clouds. But someone snatched away the blade before it could be destroyed completely. Corundum turned around. It was the woman from the temple. Cornudum changed the purification light into a powerful laser and released it at her. The woman swiftly dodged it until Corundum's energy was spent.

"You said you would fight Soul Edge. Yet you are here bringing its salvation." Corundum said after recovering her breath.

"You know so little about what is happening. Allow me to open your eyes."

She infused the Soul Edge in her hand into Mekki Maru, increasing its dark aura. In her weakened state, Corundum's rage took over. She started attacking her. Her blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing the woman as she leapt over her and used ninjutsu to create an explosion underneath Corundum. It knocked her into the side of the boat, weak and exhausted. The woman drew Mekki Maru, prepared to end Corundum's journey.

"You will just be an obstacle if I let you live. This is the end for you."

Before she could strike her, lightning struck the deck. The ship began splitting apart. Not wasting any time, Corundum used what was left of her strength to blow up the ship with fire ninjutsu. There was a blast of red light then all was quiet.

Corundum tried her best to keep her consciousness. She was holding onto a wooden plank, drifting through the ocean. The storm hadn't let up, the heavy rain and wind blasting her from all directions.

A single thought kept playing through her mind; that woman, the one claiming to be against the cursed blade.

Could she have been corrupted by it?


	8. Chapter 8, The Midnight Renegade

"Father, preparations are almost complete."

The ginger-haired teenager was quite muscular and was dressed in an orange tank top and brown baggy pants. His bare feet were bruised and he was covered in dirt and soot, but he had a look of determination in his eyes.

Kalen Morrick, was eager to bring the upper class down. For years, the people of Götterdäm in the north of Norway were worked like slaves in the copper mines below the town. Now, after smuggling out enough metal while unguarded, they had enough weaponry to bring down the miser's guards.

"Good. It's time to free this town from slavery."

The rebel leader, Hans Morrick, looked over at the castle at the edge of town. The lights were all off, and all was silent. But it wouldn't remain that way for long. The miserly aristocratic living there would soon fall before the will of the people. But first he had to make a revelation.

"Kalen?" Hans placed a hand on Kalen's shoulder.

"Yes, father?"

"Are you sure you can go through with this? He is your real father."

"You're my real father. You raised me and taught me everything I know. He abandoned me, so I can't even see him as a relative."

"You're letting your feelings get in the way again. Remember what happened last time?"

Kalen remembered it all too well. During an excavation of a rather large deposit of copper, Hans' brother was trapped by a piece of machinery. Kalen tried to get him out, but one of the guards decided it would be better to just abandon him and allowed a hollow cavity below the deposit to collapse, and Hans' brother was killed in the fall. In a blind rage, Kalen attacked the guard, brutally injuring him. Although Hans' stopped Kalen from killing him, the incident made the miser reduce the rations distributed to the people. The other people treated Kalen with disdain for a while, but forgave him after his tireless efforts to make living conditions better.

"Father...I can do this. I will free this village from slavery."

"Then make sure you don't kill him. We only want to overthrow the aristocratic hierarchy."

The midnight bell rang out, releasing a surge of torches and spears. Peasants from every corner of the village charged at the castle. Kalen and Hans were already waiting at the gates, ready to open them once they arrived.

"Father! Look out!"

Kalen threw a dagger past his father. It intercepted the flight path of an arrow, cleaving through it. Splinters of wood landed at Hans' feet. Not wasting any time, Hans drew his sword and cut the drawbridge ropes, the wooden planks landing with a loud thud. Soon after, sounds of vigorous battle filled the castle as rocks were catapulted and arrows were shot. Kalen and Hans fought their way inside with their copper swords, non-lethally subduing as many guards as possible.

As Kalen was fighting, he felt a strange feeling inside him. The castle was familiar, yes, but that wasn't it. It was almost as if the castle was closing in around them. Dismissing this feeling, he kept fighting, hoping to end this conflict once and for all.

Finally they arrived at the throne room. As soon as they stepped inside, Hans was shot in the stomach with an arrow. Kalen threw two daggers, stopping the next two arrows and striking the archers that fired them. Hans struggled to stand, but Kalen stopped him, removing the arrow and bandaging up his wounds. While he was doing so, a figure in aristocratic clothes walked in, holding a strange weapon.

Family reunions are meant to be joyous occasions, but when Kalen saw his real father for the first time in years, it was far from jolly. He had just shot the man who raised him and was standing ominously over them, holding a grotesque pulsing red weapon.

Kalen delivered the first blow, a swift low cut before an intense fight broke out between the two. With each blow he endured, something in his mind seemed to snap like the castle was collapsing around them. Eventually, he fell to the floor, clasping his head. Kalen's father raised his weapon. Kalen braced himself for death.

But nothing happened. Kalen looked up to see a boy in a white exomis was blocking the strike with his shield. Another boy in a black dragon tunic pole-vaulted over them and struck him with his staff. He veered back, raising his weapon.

"Patroklos. Is that..."

"No, but it has the same aura as Soul Edge. We have to destroy it." The boy tightened the grip on his blade.

Kalen's father whistled and two heavily armoured guards emerged from the shadows wielding swords. One of the boys went to confront one of the guards while the other darted through, aiming for the cursed weapon. Kalen picked up his sword and prepared to fight the other one.

Unfortunately, Kalen's copper sword had been through a great deal of damage by now and it snapped in two upon contact with the guard's armor. He panicked, since fisticuffs would be useless against the dense iron plates. The guard laughed and swung his sword, but at the last second, Kalen smashed his palm into the guard's face. He took the blade and smashed the hilt into the guard's torso, then leaped forward into a double torpedo kick, incapacitating him. He took a moment to catch his breath.

"Ngh...Aaaaaaaaaah!"

Kalen looked over. The Greek boy was shaking, losing his grip on his weapons. The other quickly rushed over to block a fatal blow. Not missing a beat, Kalen threw his last dagger, knocking the weapon out of his father's hands. He ran past, punching him in the face before smashing his blade into the weapon. It shattered into several pieces as the man stumbled backwards and collapsed. Kalen looked back at the other boys, one of them holding the other.

"It's ok, Patroklos. Just be strong."

After the destruction of the weapon, Kalen's father, who's name turned out to be Albert, seemed to return to his senses. He seemed a little too keen to blame everything on the weapon, though, so the people decided to lock him up in the dungeons while they distributed the castle's plentiful treasury amongst themselves while feasting on the castle's supply of food. Hans was still alive, albeit in a weakened state, and had returned to the peasant village to rest, as had Kalen and the two boys.

Patroklos woke up later that evening tucked into a soft bed with Benjamin sitting next to him. The Omega Sword and Orbis shield were placed on a table next to the bed, along with his laurel circlet and a flickering candle. When Benjamin saw his eyes open, he offered a cheesy grin, which made Patroklos smile.

"I'm sorry, Benjamin."

"It's alright. You were facing part of Soul Edge. Beside, Kalen and I were able to take care of it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The weapon is being burned in the incinerator as we speak. Anyway, you should get some sleep."

"Alright. See you in the morning."

Benjamin blew out the candle and left. As he closed the door, Kalen was standing there.

"Is there something I should know about you two?" Benjamin looked away for a moment.

"Why do you say that?"

"The hug."

"Yeah, well, I can't explain that yet. But it's not what you think."

"No, there's something else. You're hiding something, I can tell."

"What are you talking about?" Benjamin started to perspire.

"Well, I don't think that you're just here to support him like you say. You're after something."

Benjamin wringed his wrists, then looks straight at Kalen with a stern face.

"Listen, I don't want Patroklos to hear about this, ok?"

Kalen pretended to zip his lips up.

"I...I want power."

"Huh? You mean that Soul Edge thing?"

"No. Soul Calibur. I want Soul Calibur."

"So you're using Patroklos to get to Soul Calibur."

"Well...yes...but I..."

As Benjamin and Kalen walked out of earshot, Patroklos opened his eyes for a moment, then returned to his restless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9, The Palgaea Shrine

Departing from Ming, Blaze and Flora followed their leads from the general's room. The 12 year old maps they recovered were surprisingly accurate, allowing the two to follow abandoned roads and hidden pathways as they made their way west. They were making record time across Western China, but were forced to stop when alarming news reached their ears.

A woman in a farming village had recently been outcast as insane after believing to have been attacked by monsters roaming around the town one night. Blaze remembered the lizard like creatures he fought on the boat as well as the giant in Ming. He decided that it would be prudent to investigate this woman, as both the giant and lizardmen had apparent connections to Soul Edge.

According to the rumours she lived in a small village in Lanzhou in Gansu Province. But when they looked for Lanzhou on the old maps, they found a large part of the map was strangely faded and had an ominous red mark carefully placed in that area. Flora mentioned that the Chinese only use red ink when writing about the most serious things, like declarations of war or obituaries. They used a local map as a guide and went to this area, but it was just an abandoned crossroad. There weren't even any plants there. Blaze and Flora left, confused about the mark.

They eventually traced the rumours down to a tiny farming village in Ānníng. It was surprisingly peaceful and quiet. The fields were barren and lifeless following the pre-winter harvest. It seemed like there weren't many visitors, since the entire village grinded to a halt when they arrived, then went back to normal after a few moments.

"Excuse me, sir," Flora asked a passer-by, "But I believe that there's a woman living here that saw certain creatures at night."

"Yeah. Can you believe her? She must really be insane." He replied mockingly.

"Or a little too heavy into the bottle" added another villager who was eavesdropping on the two visitors. Flora ignored them.

"Could you tell us where this woman lives?"

"Seriously? You want to talk to that looney? Whatever, she lives on that shack on the outskirts of town. Nobody goes near there. Don't want to catch the crazies." And he walked off, muttering something about deranged psychopaths.

The woman was pleasantly surprised by the visitors and welcomed them inside warmly. She didn't seem as insane as the rumours said her to be. She asked them to take a seat at a table covered in red cloth and made them some tea in an exquisite ceramic pot.

"Ever since those rumours, the only visitor I get is my sister. I'm too ashamed to show my face anywhere else." She said, pouring steaming tea into fine cups for Blaze and Flora

"She brings me groceries and helps me with some of my day to day activities. I don't know what I'd do without her." Flora took a sip of her tea before starting her questions.

"Ma'am, could you tell us exactly what you saw on that night?"

"It was 2 weeks ago. I was leaving my sister's place after dinner. As I was heading up to my house, I heard rustling in the bushes. I was all alone, so I didn't investigate. As I opened my front door, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see who it was. It was wearing a brown robe and a hood. I thought it was a human, but then I saw its fangs."

"Fangs?"

"Yes. They were sharp and curved, like a lizard."

"A lizard." Blaze repeated, "What did you do after you saw it?"

"I hit it in the face and ran inside. I didn't see it again after that. I drew a copy of the prints outside the house the next morning." She produced a folded piece of paper. Flora opened it out. It was a bit smudged, but there was no denying that it was the footprint of a lizard. A large one at that

"Ma'am, did anything happen that might have caused the creature to follow you?"

"...Yes," She left the table for a moment to get a small box from the back of one of her shelves. "I found this on my way home from another village. It was a few days before I saw it."

Blaze's face turned from serious to dead serious. It was a red metal fragment; A Soul Edge fragment. Blaze took out his map.

"Can you point out approximately where you found it?"

"Well it's around the crossroads east of here, so I'd say around here. Near that red cross."

At that point there was a heavy splintering sound at the door. Flora drew her sword and peered out the door. There was a hand axe embedded into it. The woman got to her feet and looked, paralysed in fear. Flora wrenched the axe out of the door and looked at it, then at Blaze to see his nod, then at the woman.

"Ma'am, go to your sister's house and lock yourself in. Take the axe with you as proof. Can we have the fragment, ma'am?"

"Alright. I was going to throw it out anyway."

Blaze and Flora could hear the village going into an uproar as the woman arrived. This was followed by a series of slamming doors and large clunks as large, heavy items were placed behind the doors. The sun was setting when Blaze and Flora returned to the crossing. Blaze looked at the shard. He could feel it pulsing with evil in his hand.

"I really should destroy this, but we need this clue. If she found it here, there must be something else here."

"But we looked here before. We didn't find anything."

"Maybe we didn't know where to look."

He felt the evil resonate with something else in the area. He searched the area again, this time following the fragment. He felt it pulse erratically as he walked over the crossroads again and again.

"Flora...these crossroads are a bit off, aren't they?"

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"Well nobody travels here anymore, so the dirt should be in pristine condition for the growth of plants. But not even weeds are here." He began scraping away some of the dirt with his hands. He heard a weird plunking sound as he did, eventually uncovering a wooden trapdoor. He pulled at the handle, opening up a passageway. Flora peered down. It was dark and dank and stunk of blood. Neither of them wanted to go in, but at the same time neither of them wanted the other to know that they didn't, so they both bravely stepped in.

The two of them seemed to walk endlessly down a stone corridor, the walls lit eerily with purple torches. The ceiling dripped and the air was stale and humid. The floor was sticky and slippery in different places, covered in a mysterious slime. Blaze and Flora tried not to think about it too much and focused on the task at hand.

As they proceeded in, they started hearing running water and they felt a strange draft. Their footsteps led them to a large opening where sickly green water flowed around a large platform, connected to the tunnel by a series of stone columns. The walls and ceiling were covered in a glowing green moss and white smog hung in the air. On the other side of the platform was another passage. Through the entrance was a series of stone slabs covered in dark red splatter marks, roughly outlining the shape of a human. Various abnormally sized body parts lay strewn about the slabs. But that was nothing compared to what the two of them saw beyond that.

Blaze and Flora looked in horror at the seemingly endless sea of golems, all strapped down to stone tables. Flora stopped at the entrance to the passage as Blaze edged towards them, blade at the ready. Flora felt sick. She was standing in the middle of a twisted monster factory. She went back to the platform and took a moment to compose herself.

Blaze was standing over one of the golems now. He could see some writing on its torso; Astaroth Χ. The X was peculiarly larger and more detailed, and had small glowing red pebbles embedded in them. Blaze looked at the next one, also labelled Astaroth X.

"Um...Blaze?" Flora called to him.

"Yeah, just a second."

He held out the Soul Edge Fragment and watched as it resonated in tandem with pebbles on the Astaroths.

"Blaze, we might have a problem here!" Flora was in a defensive position, lizardmen circling around her. Greenish water dripped off their scaly skin, collecting in pools on the edge of the large platform.

"Hang on!" He put away the fragment and ran to help Flora, but his arm was stuck. He looked back. A giant red hand was closed around his right arm. The hand was connected to a giant red arm. The giant red arm had broken free of the straps on the stone. The Astaroth roared and Blaze struggled to free himself, his sword held helplessly in his constricted arm.

Flora waited patiently for one of the lizardmen to strike. She maintained her focus, the focus she used to use to steel herself before dances in front of large audiences. She allowed her mind to relax like the calm waters of a lake, her body to flow like the river and her spirit to roar like the ocean. A meditation she practiced before her performances.

She heard a noise behind her and turned ready to strike but only found empty air. She stumbled a bit, her foot kicking a couple of pebbles across the floor. They were covered in green moss like the ceiling. Flora looked up at the Astaroth descending on her and narrowly dodged out of the way.

Blaze continued struggling to free his arm as the Astaroth slowly began freeing his other limbs, tearing one of its legs free. He pulled and pulled, but the hand just gripped him tighter and tighter. Blaze could smell the bloody breath of the monster; he could see the murderous intent in its eyes. He would be ripped apart by Astaroth any second now.

"_There are times you when it seems that only one path is available. That's when you need to step back, and more paths come into view."_

Aruhi's advice came into his mind at just the right time. Blaze sung his right leg up, kicking the sword out of his hand and over his head. He caught it in his left hand and smashed the blade into Astaroth's X. The pebbles shattered, causing the Astaroth to fall limp and lifeless again. Blaze wasted no time running to help Flora, who was ducking another Astaroth's vicious axe swings and attempting to strike back.

"Flora! Forget the fight! We need to get out of here!"

He snatched her arm as he darted past, pulling her across the stone columns and back into the passage. As they ran, they could hear the Astraroth being struck from behind, but neither dared to stop running.

They ran, slipping, sliding and tumbling to get away from the monstrous army approaching. The tunnel seemed to be 10 times longer than before. The violet torches flickered and extinguished as the two zoomed past. The horde of demonic creatures behind came closer and closer.

Neither of them knew what happened next. They had somehow made it outside and closed the trapdoor behind them. Before the monsters could make it there they bolted off down a random path.

"...You think we lost them?" Blaze finally said between gasps.

"...I think so...How many were there?"

"...I didn't have time to count. There were at least 50."

"...Well what do we do now? We don't have any new information."

"Actually we do," he replied, pulling out a small pebble from the Astaroth X, "Look at this."

"Yeah...so?"

Blaze held the Soul Edge fragment with it. They resonated together as before.

"So what does this tell us?"

"These creatures are related to Soul Edge. We should be able to track it if we search for sightings of them."

Flora placed a hand on Blaze's shoulder. She heard his voice shaking.

"You don't have to pretend. You were scared, I understand. I was too."

"No, I want to be strong. If I can't deal with this then Soul Edge would completely devour my will. This is only the beginning."

"Blaze..."

"I'm going to stay strong. I'll be strong, for you."

While the two recuperated in distant village, a strange figure emerged from the trap door, wrapped in a brown robe. In its hands were an extremely old sword and shield. The sword was stained with blood from the Astaroths. The figure closed the door behind it and covered it with dirt, sealing it again. The figure lurched off to the west, leaving familiar footprints behind. Footprints of lizards.


	10. Chapter 10, The Chance Meeting

**Because I have so many other commitments, writing stories like this takes a while. Those of you who have read other stories of mine (which have since been deleted because of their forever-pending status) will probably know this already, but I like to keep as canon as possible. This is difficult when my central character suddenly becomes the protagonist in the next game in this series, changing several costume, weapon and personality details.**

**But I won't let it stop me this time. From this point on, I'll be writing partly AU. Pyrrha wasn't kidnapped at age 3, but her soul was stolen in the same fashion as it was in Chapter 1. Sophitia regained Pyrrha's soul after a clash with Algol and returned home with Cassandra. Then 12 years later, Chapter 1 starts.  
**

* * *

The girl was swept through the seas, tired, wounded and freezing. All that was going through her mind was her encounter with that woman on the ship. Corundum couldn't get the scene out of her mind. That woman saved the cursed blade. That woman contradicted her own legacy. Taki had sided with Soul Edge. How could she have done that? Did her previous journeys mean nothing to her? What could possibly have caused her to do that? What could her new motives be? Corundum felt herself falling deeper into unconsciousness as she processed these thoughts.

Corundum awoke on a deserted beach. Her whole body ached and she struggled to stand. The bright sun glared off the white sand, making it even harder for her sore eyes to see. She dragged herself as far away from the beach as possible. She dragged herself along a dirt road, through a forest, desperately trying to…well, she didn't know what she was trying to do. Her body was on autopilot while her mind kept cycling through possible reasons for Taki's change of heart. Corundum kept trudging on, but became unable to continue when the red trail behind her became too long and she passed out from blood loss.

"Aah! Benjamin! Kalen! Look!"

_That voice…It carries dark notes on it…_

"Is…is she dead?"

_That one doesn't…an innocent, but no doubt tricked by that dark creature._

"I don't think so, she's still breathing. But her heart is beating very slowly."

_This one seems to be tricked too. But that's kindness I sense, no fear or suspicion. I don't understand…_

"Wow, that's a nice sword."

"Kalen! Put that down!"

"So what should we do, Patroklos?"

"We can't leave her here. There should be a house or something nearby."

_Patroklos…_

Patroklos bandaged the girl's wounds as best as he could and carried her to a nearby inn, where the proprietress kindly gave them a free room upon seeing the girl. Somehow, he felt a strange connection with her, like he was meant to take care of her. The only time he stopped checking on her was when Kalen poked his head in the door making smooching sounds and kissy gestures, at which point Patroklos threw his shield at the door and sent Kalen staggering down the hallway coughing from having the door close around his neck.

Perhaps this girl reminded him of his sister, still back home in Athens. He felt the guilt of running away from home tear at him, but he was determined to remain strong for his mother and sister. Unlike the last time…

* * *

_"Baba! Baba!" The tiny child wailed, running into his father's arms in tears. Rothion comforted his son, gently patting his back and allowing him to cry on his shoulder, "the other boys were picking on me again…"_

"_What did they do this time? Did they tie your toga a fence again?" He remembered all too well when his young son came running home with his clothes falling apart. Rothion had complained to the other parents, but it did not seem to stop the bullying._

"_No…I was picking flowers…for Pyrrha…then they laughed at me…they called me a girl…"_

"_Patroklos…"_

"…_Mamma isn't coming home, is she?"_

"_Of course mamma will come home. I promise."_

"_No…Mamma's been gone for months…She doesn't love us…" He squealed as his father struck him across the face._

"_Don't ever say that about your mother! Do you even know why she's gone? She's trying to make the world safer for you."_

"…_Then why isn't she here? I want mama here!" He sniffled. Before Rothion could respond, Patroklos had run from the forge back into the house. _

"…_So do I, Patroklos. I want Sophie home too."_

_Patroklos ran to the room he shared with his sister. She lay still and lifeless on her bed. He cried into her blankets, grasping her hand. He cried harder and harder, begging for his sister and mother to come home._

* * *

"Patroklos…Patroklos!" He blinked a few times. The sun was setting outside. He had been sitting there next to that girl for a few hours.

"Oh, uh…sorry Benjamin. I was just thinking."

"About your sister?"

"…Yeah. How did you know?"

"I can tell."

Benjamin sat down next to Patroklos.

"We'll be staying overnight. We need to work out all the clues we've gathered so far."

"Alright." Patroklos placed a hand on the girl's hair, wondering if she would wake soon.

* * *

"_Master, I'm trying!"_

"_Try harder. You're not even using 10% of your energy."_

_The tiny girl was levitating over a few lit coals. She was creating a sphere of light in front of her face that was only just lit, pulsing in and out of luminescence. Occasionally, she would fall and singe her foot on the coals._

"_Think about what you're trying to achieve. What are you going to do with this?"_

"_I…I'm going to destroy that blade! I'll tear it to a million pieces!"_

_Then she flew back, landing hard against the back wall as her master violently cancelled out her purification circle. _

"_When you made your oath, you swore against mindless violence forever. Why are you allowing it to taint you now?" The master approached her. She was fixing her headband, tied around her violet hair._

"_That sword…I want it destroyed. I want it destroyed for good!"_

"_You're not paying attention."_

_The girl started crying uncontrollably._

"_I'm trying, master. But I can't do this…I just can't do this"_

"_Are you looking for sympathy?" he said sternly. She looked up._

"_Within these four walls I am your master, not a parent. You will obey my instructions as long as you are my pupil, Uyuki."_

_Somehow, Corundum detected hints of encouragement between these harsh words. She got up and resumed her position over the burning coals._

"_What are you going to do with this?"_

_The girl didn't respond, focusing her thoughts on the light._

"_What are you going to do with this?"_

"_I will use this to protect…"_

_The girl's feet lifted higher off the coals._

"_I will use this power to protect people who can't protect themselves."_

_The light shining between her hands began expanding. A gust of wind blew around her._

"_I won't let anyone else get hurt like I did. I will protect the world from danger"_

"_Even if that danger is yourself?"_

"…_It won't be. I'll never allow myself to do that again. Never again. NEVER!"_

_At the last word, the light burst forth from the girl's palms. Her master sidestepped as it surged pass, tearing through the air itself before slamming into the wall. The force drilled through the wood like paper, sending the mighty blast of light into the courtyard outside._

_The girl fell onto her knees on the ground, sobbing. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Her master pulled her into an embrace, gently petting her hair._

"_Let it out, Corundum. It's not good to keep emotions trapped inside for long."_

"_But, I thought you said…"_

"_We aren't within four walls anymore now, are we?" Her master smiled._

_The girl chuckled and rested her head against his chest._

"_I'm proud of you, Corundum."_

* * *

Patroklos squeezed the murky water out of the washcloth into a bucket on the floor, dipped it into a bowl with filled with warm water and some flower petals and continued cleaning the dirt and blood off of the girl's face. She was extremely pale, and her lips were quite blue. Patroklos had maintained his bedside vigil, only stopping when he had to sleep. He was worried, because he would be leaving in about an hour and was unsure of the girl's condition.

All of a sudden, the girl lurched upright, startled. Patroklos also stumbled backwards, the washcloth flying from his hand. For a moment, the two just stared at each other.

_This…This is Patroklos. That dark one._

"D-Did…Did I frighten you? I'm sorry." Patroklos stuttered, standing up. Corundum remained silent.

"I'm glad you're awake now. I was worried that you wouldn't wake up." Corundum continued to stare, silently.

"Uh…I'm Patroklos. It's nice to meet you." Corundum nodded slightly then looked around.

"Oh, your sword is in the trunk under the bed." There was an awkward silence between them.

"Listen, I have a journey to continue. The proprietress of this inn has allowed you to stay for free and I bandaged your wounds as best I could…" He stopped when she looked back at him, her face remaining serious.

"Uh…Take care of yourself. Farewell." And he left.

_He has that dark aura, but I sensed no ill motives. That was sincerity, almost purity. What could he…_

"…Edge is probably to the east." Corundum leapt over to the window and eavesdropped on the three boys.

"Yeah, but…we have a bit of a financial problem. Check out our funds," Benjamin said, tipping a cloth sack upside down over his hand. Three coins fell out, "And we still have a long way to go."

"Hey, look at this," Kalen exclaimed as he waved a piece of paper in front of them, "we could get some cash here!"

"Really? I don't know, Kalen."

"Hey, all of us can fight, right?"

"Well…what do we have to lose, Patroklos?" Patroklos looked at Benjamin, then back at Kalen.

"…Alright, let's do it."

" To the Tournament!" Kalen punched the air, then marched off with the other two being pulled along.

A purple shadow followed the trio as they departed.


	11. Chapter 11, The Union of Heroes

Blaze and Flora entered the bustling town looking for the coliseum. Blaze and Flora had argued about where to look for information first; Blaze wanting to search for scholars and Flora wanting to find able warriors. After a brief sparring session, Flora's idea was selected. Blaze felt somewhat lethargic during the duel, which Flora picked up on. He dismissed it as being overworked.

"Over there!" Flora pointed at a large banner hung over a stairway near the town port, "Let's go sign up."

Blaze navigated through the crowd as best as he could. It was difficult with the amount of people gathered in the streets. Were they not on an important quest, he might have enjoyed watching the people gathered around peculiar wooden objects hanging on strings or a musician that sounded like he was tuning his instrument, and then stopping to bow.

As he made his way through, his path was suddenly blocked by what looked like an angel. He tried stopping, but the crowd made it difficult and he felt himself being pushed forwards.

"Whoa!"

"Aaah!"

They hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Oops. Are you ok? Sorry about that," Blaze apologised, getting up and helping the angel up. Then he realised that it was just a boy wearing white clothes. He got up and brushed some of the dust off his back.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it." Blaze gave him a reassuring smile and pat on the shoulder as he walked past to sign up for the tournament.

* * *

Patroklos' name was already on the sheet along with Benjamin's and Kalen's. Now he was spending some time wandering around town enjoying the sights, something he didn't have a lot of time to do. The town felt so different to his home in Athens. It was shaped like a large semicircle with part of the arc overhanging the ocean. The main dirt road through the middle of the town branched into several smaller streets, paved with golden stones. There were a few forests around the outside of town and small trees lining the roads in places. Among the houses and buildings, flowers of all colours grew, releasing some of the most exotic smells in the air. It gave the town a lively, yet rustic feel to it.

As it was the day of the tournament, several performers had gathered in the streets to display talent in exchange for coin. There was a man with a dangerous looking serpent draped around his limbs, a group of singers belting out a tune he didn't recognise, but sounded lovely and vibrant, a female jester doing handstands while twirling hoops around her legs, a man walking on two long wooden sticks above his head and many other colourful people.

Kalen was waiting in the actual arena. At the edge of the port, there were staircases that lead down to a magnificent under cover area. From above, it looked like a series of concentric circles, which were the large stairs that acted as seats. In the middle was a pool of flowing water and large bronze bars were placed there that could be raised or lowered using a water-tank system. A large white tiled arena was placed within with stairs on either side that lead to paths. Banners of different colours and sizes hung from the roof, completing the simple yet grand design.

Kalen didn't normally think about interior design. Well, he didn't think about much at all to be honest. His job as a freedom fighter was over now and there wasn't much left for him to do. He thought to himself why he was helping out these two boys when he hardly knew either of them.

"Hey, Kalen." There was a metal clang as a double edged, single handed viking sword landed behind him. Benjamin was standing there, smiling.

"I thought we were running low on funds."

"I ran a couple of errands for the shopkeeper. You need a better weapon anyway." Kalen had to agree there. The sword he stole from the armoured guard wasn't holding well and was denting in places. He took the new sword, his chain of thought being ended with a definitely nice reason.

"Thanks, Benjamin."

* * *

A few hours later, the stairs of the coliseum were filled with people. All 16 participants were ready, most of them waiting in the front row while the first two warriors battled it out. Patroklos was tightening the grip on his weapons as he watched the two men attacking with vigour and speed like he'd never seen. The fight was seriously intense and it was hard to tell who was winning until one of them delivered a powerful slash down the other's torso, knocking them down. The announcer counted down from ten, signalling a victory for the first warrior. Benjamin looked over at Patroklos and patted his back.

"Feeling nervous?"

"Yes I am, actually. I'm not nearly as good as that. I've lost a lot of fights since I started this journey."

"I beg to differ. You beat four different bandits, then the bandit leader, and fought through about 20 guards before we met Kalen. Are you saying those weren't victories?"

Before Patroklos could answer, he heard a voice bellow over the crowd.

"Calling Patroklos Alexandra!"

He gave a grateful smile to Benjamin before getting up and heading to the preparation area. There was a lot on his mind recently. During that night in Götterdäm when he overheard Benjamin talking, he had convinced himself that it was a bad dream. But he couldn't help but analyse every conversation he had with Benjamin. So far, Benjamin had treated him with nothing less than friendship, loyalty and devotion and it would be wrong to question him, but still...

"Fight!"

Patroklos was brought back to the real world at the sight of the warrior in front of him. It was a very large man holding a massive battle axe. He turned and prepared to swing. Patroklos was too fast for him, easily ducking under his swing while dashing forward and stabbing. He tilted his blade at just the right time, allowing him to follow up with a second slash. The man got up and grabbed Patroklos by the throat. Effortlessly picking him up, he threw him against the tiled floor. He landed hard and winded himself, but quickly got up with a somersault double kick. As he landed he charged forward with his shield, turned to the left for another swipe and finished with an uppercut, sending the man into the air. As the man landed behind him, Patroklos made several quick stabs at the ground, forcing his hands away from his weapon, which Patroklos quickly kicked into the waters surrounding the platform. Unwilling to admit defeat, he got up and lunged at Patroklos with his bare hands. Remembering the conflict with the mountain bandits, Patroklos' backflip kick once again knocked his opponent out cold. As the countdown from ten reached one, cheers erupted from around the arena, particularly from Benjamin and Kalen.

* * *

"Oh. That's the kid I ran into before." Blaze commented as the boy waved to the audience. He helped the other man to his feet and took him to the medic before he left the arena.

"Hm...I don't know if he knows much about Soul Edge though."

"You never know, Flora. There's something about that kid that seems special."

"Calling Flora Tunia!"

"Looks like you're up next. Good luck."

Flora winked at Blaze as she headed to the arena. She took a quick peek at her opponent. It was a red-haired boy with orange and brown clothes. He was pretty muscular for someone his age.

'Right. Focus, Flora,' she thought as she unsheathed her blade.

"Fight!"

The boy made the first move, hurling a dagger at Flora. She slashed it, redirecting its path into the bronze bars. He hurled another dagger, this one aimed at her feet. Flora easily flipped over it and closed the distance between them with a long vertical slash. Then the boy began using his sword to fight her in a unique battle. He was using a defend-and-counter fighting style whereas Flora's sword moved in continuous, flowing, aggressive slashes. Occasionally a dagger would fly through the air between them, which Flora would easily deflect away. Then the boy threw two daggers at once, which Flora had to block individually. The boy quickly used this chance to punch at her sword arm, making her lose grip on her jian. He caught the sword in his free arm and prepared to fight the two swords.

'Ok, don't panic. He's probably not used to two swords at once.' Flora thought to herself as she twisted one of her bracelets. The boy charged at her with both swords.

* * *

Kalen didn't understand it, but having two weapons seemed to make fighting a lot harder. He was having trouble coordinating both swords at once, allowing the girl he was facing to deliver some painful kicks and punches. Deciding to cut his losses, he discarded her sword into the waters around the platform. She clearly didn't like her sword being tossed into the pool like that, since she followed this up with a double sliding kick that knocked him over. Kalen slashed near the ground a few times but could never seem to hit this girl. She was fighting, yes, but it looked more like she was dancing. As she evaded his attacks, she was able to gather a few of the daggers lying around. She wasn't as adept at throwing them as Kalen was, but having a bunch of daggers flying towards you makes you stop for a moment to block them; a moment that she used to grab and twist his wrist, flip over his back and hurl him into the water. The commentator called a victory for the girl.

Kalen surfaced, sputtering. The girl smiled as she knelt by the water.

"While you're down there, could you get my sword back please?"

Kalen returned to his seat, frustrated and soaking wet. Patroklos offered him a towel to dry himself.

"It's ok. You did your best."

"Dang, it's up to you two now," Kalen sighed as he dried his face, "and you're up next, Benjamin."

"Calling Benjamin Ukyo."

"Calling Kasaiko Hotaru."

* * *

Flora gave Blaze a little nudge as he went to the preparation area. He was fighting another boy, similar in age to the two he already witnessed. When the match was started, neither of them moved. When the cheering died down, a murmur spread through the crowd.

A couple of seconds later, there were hundreds of weapon clashing sounds as Blaze launched into a rapid slashing and dodging frenzy while Benjamin spiralled his staff in defence while delivering quick kicks to break the combo. It was a very even match; whenever Blaze gained a momentary advantage, Benjamin would regain that advantage a split second later. Eventually, Benjamin was knocked near the edge of the arena, but he pushed back on his block and made Blaze stumble. He struck him across the stomach with this staff to knock him down and raised his staff to knock him out. There were screams from the crowd.

"Benjamin!"

Benjamin stopped and looked to the crowds for Patroklos. His name was called in a panicked tone. Blaze rolled out of the way and was about to retaliate when he saw the crowds as well. They were all running for the exits, even some of the other combatants.

"Lizardmen! And Astaroths!"

* * *

Lizardmen were gathering around the arena. Patroklos was in the middle of the stands, fighting two Astaroth's at once. Kalen was rushing to help him, but was punched by one of the Astaroths and sent into the far side of the stands.

"Lower the bars! Now!" Benjamin called, but the engineer who controlled the tanks had also legged it. Flora saw this and fought her way to the holding area, pulling the trigger that emptied the tanks. The bars were falling, but too slowly. Benjamin impatiently ran at the edge of the platform, then pole-vaulted up near the top of the bars and climbed over. He took out a couple of Lizardmen on the way down. He fought as hard as he could, striking and kicking Lizardmen out of the way.

Patroklos realised he couldn't beat both at once and was dodging around the stairs to get away from the two giants. Then he was grabbed from behind by giant hands. He struggled, his arms and weapons stuck by his sides. He tried screaming for help, but his breath was being squeezed out of him. The Astaroths grunted, and started carrying their prey off.

"Patroklos!" Benjamin continued fighting past Lizardmen while rushing towards the exit. A Lizardman threw an axe at him and Benjamin smacked into the path of another Astaroth, stopping its charge. Then he kicked it and used it as a spring board to use a leap strike on another lizardman. He was fighting so hard and they were falling at an increasingly fast rate, but he wasn't making any ground; especially past the wall of three giants blocking him. After dodging a few heavy axe swipes a stream of red sparks flew past him as a red blade cut into the middle giant. Flora leaped over Blaze and cut at its eyes.

"Go! Your friend needs you!" Blaze yelled, preparing to fight the one on the left.

"We can handle things here." Flora added, pointing her sword at the one on the right.

"But there's too many..." Benjamin started, staring at the enemies behind those giants still to be faced. There were some flashes of light as daggers pierced through several enemies. Benjamin looked up to see Kalen swinging off one of the banners.

"Go, Benjamin!"

Benjamin nodded, dashing past the Astaroths and through the lizardmen to follow Patroklos.

* * *

Patroklos kept struggling, restricted by the giant's arms. He felt himself passing out slowly from being squeezed so hard. He looked around trying to find the leader of these monsters.

"Good job, boys."

The jester from town walked into view. She had a large metal bladed ring hung over her shoulder. She removed her mask and revealed her face. Patroklos was frozen in fear. It was the girl who took Pyrrha's soul. She approached Patroklos and leaned towards him.

"I've been after your soul for a long time now. Ever since I met that wretch of a woman you call a mother."

Patroklos felt rage flare up inside him, but he was still helpless in his position. The girl brought her face even closer, smirking.

"And now that I've finally isolated you from your precious friends, I can bring you to your sister"

Patroklos spat in her face. She was irritated, but simply wiped it off and laughed.

"Enjoy that spite while you can, because you won't be feeling anything else after this." She was now inches away from his face, preparing to take the soul from his body. Patroklos kept trying to break free, but the Astaroth holding him was too strong and he was running out of breath.

'...No...this can't be it,' he thought.

A heavy slashing sound broke the silence as both the Astaroths behind the girl fell dead. She turned and drew her weapon.

"What? Who's there?"

There were more slashes as the Astaroth holding Patroklos was also struck down. The girl raised her weapon in a random direction blocking the strike of a purple ninja. She landed on the ground next to her and drew her blade.

"Minion of Soul Edge, die."

They stared each other down; Corundum was clearly not intimidated by the jester and she in turn not feeling the least bit compelled to fight this ninja.

"Hmph. I don't even feel like killing you..."

She turned and jumped into the treetops, leaving black raven feathers in her wake.

"...yet." This was followed by maniacal laughter.

Patroklos coughed and gasped, trying to catch his breath. He got into a kneeling position to look at his rescuer.

"You! You're that girl. A-Are you feeling better now?" He started getting up, but she pointed her sword at his neck.

"I don't understand you."

"W-What do you mean? You can hear what I'm saying, can't you?" Patroklos replied, leaning back and away from the blade.

"Not that, you. You in person. How can you act like that?"

"Like what? Am I doing something wrong?" Patroklos fell into a sitting positing and was backing himself against a tree trunk.

"That dark influence in your blood. You should be following that sword, but you're fighting it. It shouldn't be possible. Who are you?"

"You...you can feel that?" Patroklos relaxed himself a bit, finally having an explanation to this interrogation. He started telling his story, from his mother's journey to his current mission. As the tales left Patroklos' mouth, the tension left Corundum's arm. She tightened it when he mentioned Taki rescuing his mother, but upon hearing about his sister she sheathed her sword.

"You're a victim too."

"Were you also influenced by that blade?" Patroklos asked, standing up. She turned away.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"...No...It's not your fault. And you shared your story."

It was hard for her to explain why, but she in turn shared her story about her possession, the death of her master and how Taki was now fighting for Soul Edge rather than against it.

"You don't have to do this alone."

"I have to. Bringing others into this only brings further hurt"

"But I'm already involved with this. Please, let me help you."

Corundum looked up into his eyes. She saw the same sincerity and honesty. Perhaps she could trust him. No, after what he did, she knew she could trust him. She nodded as footsteps arrived behind them.

"Patroklos!" Benjamin arrived at the clearing with Kalen, Blaze and Flora close behind. There was an awkward silence.

"You!"

"You?"

"You..."

"Me!" Kalen added, to lighten the mood. Patroklos shot him an uneasy look and Corundum glared at him, but the others laughed. Corundum turned her focus to Blaze.

"I thought I told you not to follow me."

"I didn't. I went to Ming like I intended, but we were attacked by one of the Astaroths," Blaze started. Flora backed him up.

"We also found some sort of underground shrine that housed creatures like these called 'Astaroth X'. They're connected to Soul Edge. If we have strength to fight it, then we want to help."

"Wait, did it look like this?" Patroklos drew a symbol in the dirt on the ground with his finger. Blaze nodded.

"It's not X. It's χ (chi). A Greek letter. Some say 'kye,' but the meaning is the same. Death." There was an uneasy silence for a moment. "My mother was represented by Ω. She was the Omega Warrior; the last...well, almost." Patroklos looked at his sword as he said this.

Corundum looked down for a second, then back at Blaze.

"You're carrying those shards..."

Blaze handed over the Soul Edge fragment as well as the pebbles from Astaroth X, sorry, Astaroth χ. Corundum purified the pebbles, but when she turned to the shard, Kalen grabbed it. Corundum glared at him again.

"Look. It's reacting to something." And he was right. Part of the shard was glowing and when it was turned, the glowing part moved to compensate its new coordination. Blaze took out one of his maps.

"It looks like it's pointing towards...Germany?"

"Then that's where we'll go next." Flora said.

"Not yet," Benjamin shook his head, "We need to check if the town is safe."

* * *

As the group returned to the town, they were greeted with tremendous applause from the entire town. Having driven off the monsters, the six of them were hailed as heroes and were rewarded with the prize money from the tournament.

("But they attacked because of me...")

("Quiet, Patroklos! They don't need to know that!")

With renewed motivation, a sense of where to go next and financial security, they followed the evil shard to their next destination, which Patroklos had an inkling as to where it might be.

The place his mother defended all those years ago.


	12. Chapter 12, The Looming Colossus

Fortunately, SCV actually fits into my story quite well, apart from some history being different and that fact I don't know much about Greek nomenclature.

* * *

Having a group of six meant that the group didn't have to worry about being attacked by bandits. But it also meant Patroklos found it hard to sneak away at night to think for a while. For some reason, everyone had become a very protective of him, and were constantly asking if he was alright. It wasn't that Patroklos didn't want company; he valued the friendship of all his new companions, especially Benjamin. But with everything that was happening, sometimes all he wanted was a quiet moment to himself to reflect.

One time in a small village, Patroklos had decided to climb up a tree outside the inn to see if hiding amongst foliage would help him stay out of sight for a while. He jumped up and locked his fingers together over a thick branch, then used swung his right leg over the branch. Well, at least that was the plan. He felt his foot collide with something and fell backwards onto the ground. There was a metal scraping sound and the next thing Patroklos saw was Corundum's blade at his neck. She had the same facial expression as always, but judging by how her eyes were shifting ever so slightly, she had been asleep before. Patroklos quickly put the pieces together as Corundum got off Patroklos and sheathed her blade.

"You don't have to apologise, I know you didn't meant to hurt me. I'm sorry for drawing my blade on you."

Patroklos got up, still in mild shock. Corundum was starting to pick up on Patroklos' mannerisms, detecting emotional changes at the blink of an eye, often because of the blink of an eye.

"Do you often climb trees at night?" Corundum asked after an awkward pause.

"Not really, but I needed some time to be alone. I like that everyone cares about me, but..."

"...you feel like everything is moving too fast."

"H...How did you know that?"

"I know what it's like."

Corundum jumped back up into the tree, then offered her hand to Patroklos. The two of them sat in the branches, leaves surrounding them and giving them some form of privacy.

"Your mother is a strong woman. You do not need to worry about her."

"How did...?

"You've been crying 'Mama' in your sleep for the last few nights."

Patroklos' cheeks went pink. That explained why everyone was looking out for him so much.

"That's not all I'm worried about...Why were you sleeping in this tree?"

"I always sleep in trees when I can. My mind feels at ease and it feels safer."

"Oh..."

"Just take your time. You will sort everything out eventually."

Corundum gently patted Patroklos on the arm before leaping over into the next tree.

Patroklos seemed to sit there for hours, running through everything that happened and steeling himself for what would happen. He knew that they were heading to Ostrheinsburg, the dark place his mother once defended that sword. His mind drifted to his sister, still in her soulless state. What would his father think of him leaving without saying a word? Maybe that girl with the ring blade would be in Ostrheinsburg. If she was then surely Soul Edge would be there, and other warriors seeking the blade would also gather. He was headed there now. With Benjamin.

It took Patroklos about 5 minutes to realise he had been thinking about Benjamin for half an hour. That night in Götterdam had been bothering him more and more. Patroklos wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, but it seemed too real not to be. Benjamin's behaviour was genuinely kind and selfless and they were getting closer to their destination. Patroklos made a promise to confront Benjamin about it before they arrived at Ostrheinsburg.

The next thing Patroklos knew was he had found himself on the ground and his back hurt a bit. He looked around his surroundings; the sun was rising in the village, he was outside the inn and covered in leaves. Patroklos realised he must have fallen asleep in the tree and fallen out. He quickly picked himself up and tried to sneak back into his room before anyone else got up.

"Was it comfortable in that tree?"

Oh right, he was sharing a room with Benjamin and Kalen. Kalen was still snoring away, but Benjamin was awake and already dressed. He was polishing the brass on his staff casting golden reflections of the rising sun.

"You were spying on me?"

"No, I heard a commotion outside and looked through the window. Luckily for you, the others have a room without a vantage point. "

"Look, Benjamin..."

"Next time you want to be alone, just ask."

"What, and be told that 'It's past your bedtime' or 'You have a big day tomorrow' or 'Mummy's boy needs his beauty sleep!'" Patroklos' impressions of Blaze, Flora and Kalen were pretty much spot on and Benjamin looked slightly taken aback.

"I meant ask me privately to make a diversion. And what's with you today? You never lose your temper."

"Just because I'm having horrific, nightmarish visions about everyone I love dying and I'm crying out to the one person who might have made a difference doesn't mean that I need constant looking after! I'm not 3 years old!"

"Patroklos! Calm down!"

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! ANYTHING!"

Patroklos slammed his fist into the wall making a decent sized dent. Then he grabbed Kalen's bed and tipped it over.

"Bwah? What the...!"

By the time Kalen had crawled out from under the mess, Blaze and Flora had already awoken and had barged into the room, weapons drawn. Corundum also had her weapon at hand and was looking through the window. Benjamin was holding Patroklos in a tight embrace, Patroklos sobbing into his shoulder. Benjamin loosening his grip to allow Patroklos to wrap his arms around him before gently stroking his hair.

"It's ok, Patroklos. Just let it out."

Blaze made a confused gesture at Benjamin, who mouthed the word 'Nightmare' at him. He nodded and slowly backed out of the room.

Much to Patroklos' chagrin, the outburst meant that he didn't get any time alone anymore. Blaze pretty much insisted that he stay with Patroklos all the time to make sure nothing bad happened to him. They were able to bond over some things, namely their methods of fighting and favourite cuisines, but Patroklos never had any time to himself anymore. Blaze's constant presence also meant that he wouldn't be able to talk to Benjamin privately.

It was the night before their planned invasion of Ostrheinsburg. The group had set up camp in a nearby forest. Benjamin was still awake. He glanced over at Blaze, sleeping quietly on his back. His eyes moved to Flora, on her side and curled up slightly. She had a hand on Blaze's shoulder. Then he heard Kalen snore loudly behind him.

'How does he not wake himself up?'

Benjamin looked over to Patroklos' space at the curled up figure under his blanket. He wondered whether he was doing the right thing. Benjamin was getting worried about his friend; the outbursts were getting more and more common. Sighing, he slowly got up and started walking into the forest, kicking the mound of dirt that was pretending to be Patroklos.

Patroklos was sitting under a tree, turning his sword over in his hands. He grabbed his shield beside him and got up when he heard the crunching of leaves being trodden on.

"Are they looking for me, Benjamin?"

"No, but I am. I know you wanted to be alone and I'm sorry, but I really want to make sure..."

"...that I'm leading you to what you want." Patroklos deadpanned.

"What?"

"Benjamin, I heard you that night in Götterdam. You're after the rest of this." Patroklos took the Soul Calibur shard out of his pouch and threw it at Benjamin. He caught it, looking kind of scared.

"You heard that? But..."

"You lied to me. You said you were going with me because you wanted justice, but all you really want is power" Patroklos shed a tear before continuing.

"I thought you were my friend. I believed every word you said. You were the first person who genuinely cared about me. How much of that is a lie? What else have you been lying to me about?"

"Patroklos, listen..." Before he could respond there was a rustling above the trees. Instinctively both boys turned and held their weapons in front of them, backs facing each other. There was nothing but silence for a while, then...

The Eiserne Drossel spun through the air, colliding with the Orbis shield as Patroklos defended. Tira caught the blade and charge at Patroklos. He in turn charged back, their weapons colliding as the vicious duel ensued. Tira's blade seemed to scream as it was swung around. Patroklos did his best not to freak out during the battle. It was difficult as she knocked him back into a tree. She was about to slam her weapon into him when he grabbed her in the face. She was caught by surprise as Patroklos pulled her down, then jumped off her shoulders. She turned to attack again, but was hit by the shield that Patroklos had thrown at her at the peak of his jump. Patroklos kneeled and held his sword out to the right, preparing to attack again.

"Hmph. Fine, you win. I'll just settle for one."

One? Patroklos suddenly remembered Benjamin. He turned and found him unconscious in the arms of an Astaroth χ. He was about to attack it when four lizardmen stepped out from behind it.

"Take care of this one while I go prepare the new hosts. Your sister will love the company, I'm sure" Tira and the Astaroth χ ran off into the forest, leaving Patroklos behind with the lizardmen. For a while, they just stood in a circle around him and didn't move. Then they all charged in at once. Patroklos swiftly ducked under the strike of one of them and escaped as they collided in the middle. Patroklos turned and stabbed forward, knocking one down. The others all retaliated at the same time and Patroklos felt three blades on his shield. Then there were a few flashes of light and they all dropped dead like the first. Corundum landed next to Patroklos. Patroklos saw the chunk of Soul Calibur at his feet and picked it back up, placing it back into his pouch.

"Patroklos, they have Benjamin. Quickly, before we lose the trail!"

Patroklos nodded and hurried in the direction that Tira ran off in. Corundum lagged behind slightly, the Moon Fury Blade singing a violent aria as it marked the bark of various trees.

* * *

"Kalen, wake up!"

"Ugh...5 more minutes..."

"Kalen, now! This is an emergency!"

"Can't it wait?"

*THUD*

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Look. What do you think is wrong here?"

"Uh...there's nothing for breakfast?"

Flora sighed as Blaze hit his forehead with his palm

That was half an hour ago. Following the trail of lacerated trees, the three warriors arrived at the bridge leading to Ostrheinsburg. It was very run down and dilapidated with many windows dusty or cracked and climbing plants taking over the outside walls. The moat rushed violently below them.

"Why would they go without us? The plan was to all go at once." Flora pulled her hair behind her ear as she looked around.

"Maybe Patroklos got sick of Blaze breathing down his neck," Kalen remarked, folding his arms.

"Kalen, shut up. I didn't see you trying to help at all."

"He doesn't need our help, he needs space. Maybe you'd know that if you tried talking to him once, Flora."

"And what you did was talking? All I heard was you calling him mean names."

Blaze drew his blade violently, stopping the argument. He pointed at the closed and broken portcullis. There were two lizardmen caught under the prongs. One had a scrap of white fabric in its hand

"That has to be part of Patroklos' clothing. He must be in trouble. Change of plans, we split up and search the castle for the others. Flora, find a window you can climb through. Kalen, search around the moat of the castle for an entrance to the aqueducts. I'll scale the walls and see if I can find a way down." He held his sword towards the other two. Flora drew her sword and held it over the red katana, and Kalen placed his viking sword with the others. They raised the swords above their heads then ran for their respective goals.

* * *

Corundum clashed weapons with the ninja again on the tiny raft circling around the moat. They had been fighting for some time now. Corundum refused to let fatigue get the better of her as the battle with Taki dragged on.

"You just don't give up, do you?", Taki violently stabbed her sword at the raft, splintering the wood and forcing Corundum to flip backwards.

"That night when you attacked me on that ship. I saw what you were fighting for." She paused to create a purifying shield to block the explosions Taki was sending her way.

"You're not trying to save Soul Edge, you're trying to use it. You of all people should not have to rely on evil power."

"Foolish girl. You have no idea what turmoil this world will be thrown into."

She charges a series of bright blue flames into her palms as Corundum does the same with white lights. Both blasts meet in the middle of the raft and start pulsing back and forth. Both females are being pushed back by their blasts.

There was a flash of light and Taki dodged out of the way of both Corundum's magic and the dagger thrown at her. Kalen leapt from the nearby ledge and landed next to Corundum, sword at the ready.

"Corundum, you need to get inside and find Patroklos."

"No, I have to stop this woman here."

"I'll do that. Your skills are needed more inside."

"What about you? This woman is stronger than you think."

"So am I!" Kalen grabbed another two daggers in his free hand and prepared to throw.

"Go!" Corundum reluctantly bowed her head, then leapt into a nearby doorway and ran inside. Kalen and Taki stared each other down.

"Taki, was it? So you're on Soul Edge's side now."

"I have no time for the likes of you."

"Really? That's a shame. I was looking forward to get to know you better."

Taki lunged at him with Rekki-Maru, but he was too quick and was able to block her strike easily and follow up with a turning back kick. She leaped back and blocked as two daggers were hurled at her.

"You're not as foolish as you look. This might get interesting" Taki said, placing a hand on Mekki-Maru

"Worthy cause or not, I can't let you inside." Kalen replied, preparing another dagger.

* * *

"Aunt Cassandra!"

The girl was slammed into the stained glass window, the Nemea shield clanging on the ground beside her. Patroklos rushed over and tried to help her up. But when his eyes met with her attacker's, his heart sunk.

* * *

A window gently slid open and Flora climbed inside. She drew her sword and started looking around the room. It appeared to be a library of some sort with cobwebs hanging from every corner. Flora took one of the books off a shelf and examined it, but as she opened it it fell apart in her hands. She quickly put the book back together and replaced it in the bookshelf, then she swiftly made her way to the exit.

The library lead to a small hallway, and from there into the main foyer. It was kept in surprisingly good condition; carpets were straight and clean, marble floors were polished, pillars were dust free and almost all the chandelier beads still present on all three chandeliers. Flora took a moment to admire the scene as she moved to the staircase at the far side of the room. then she heard the main doors open and a man wearing a fancy black outfit sauntered into the room.

"I need that sword. It has to be here somewhere. Do you know where it is, little girl?"

"Sorry, I was looking for it myself." There was silence between the two as each realised just what the other wanted. A second later a rapier was deflected by a jian and several weapon clashes rang through the hall.

"A girl like you has no business here. Leave, or I will turn you into one of my pets." Raphael made several leaping strikes, only to be deflected by the dancing sword of Flora.

"I will fulfil my mission, no matter what it takes. And no thanks, I like my sentience." She went into a split stance and stabbed at Raphael's foot, then delivered a few sweeping kicks.

"You will not stop me from creating my perfect world." Raphael scoffed

"You are tragically misguided. I cannot allow you to continue." Flora slashed the air a few times.

* * *

Patroklos looked at his aunt's attacker, a woman with blonde hair. She wore red spiked armor with a spined helmet with a visor so he couldn't see her face, but he knew who it was. What was even more gut-wrenching was the weapon she held in her hands. A twisted red sword; Soul Edge.

* * *

Blaze grabbed at the last strand of ivy entwined on the wall and pulled himself over the top of the castle wall. He took a couple of seconds to recover before moving slightly to the left and a shard of the stone chipped off with a banging sound. Blaze took cover. He remembered that sound. The sound of gunpowder launching lead pellets. Blaze looked around the roof and eventually saw a pirate in black clothing emerging from one of the trapdoors that lead down. He turned to look at him then held his sword in an upright position towards him. Blaze realised that the hilt of the sword was a gun and evaded the second bullet.

"You...You're a minion of Soul Edge, aren't you?"

"Miserable wretch. That shard you carry threw me off the trail. I'm getting that sword back and you can't stop me!" Cervantes fired another shot, also missing Blaze as he drew his katana with the same flurry of red sparks.

"If you have to rely on a sword to be powerful, then I should be able to beat you easily." Blaze smirked, maintaining his stance.

"Hah. I've beaten many warriors before you..."

"What about that girl on the ship?" Cervantes looked stunned.

"That's right, I know. And guess what? She's still alive and kicking. Your not-so-perfect record is about to be marred again."

Cervantes leaned back and started propelling himself towards Blaze like a drill, but Blaze jumped over him and cut at his back. He roared in pain before turning both of his swords and stabbing, which Blaze evaded. He prepared his battle stance.

"I shall enjoy...feasting on your soul." Cervantes called, spiralling both his blades.

"Good luck with that, because I have no intentions of losing now." Blaze spun his blade around his wrist.

* * *

"Mother...why?" Patroklos barely whispered. Sophitia looked down at the weapons she once used in her son's hands and tightened her grip on her weapon.

"You should not have come here, Patroklos."

* * *

Corundum walked silently through the darkened passage beneath the castle. She felt slightly worried about Kalen having to fight that woman, but somehow she knew that he wouldn't die so easily. Besides, she had a more important task to attend to.

After turning a few corners she heard a voice.

"Ooh aren't you just a precious one. I'm sure you'll be the perfect new host, once I get your back into that evil filled body of yours!"

She followed it through the tunnels, eventually turning to look into a darkened room. A small glass bell jar stood on a table in the middle and inside it there was a floating orb of pink light. It seemed to carry the same dark essence that Patroklos had, but it was different. Corundum remembered that he had a sister who's soul was taken.

"But what to do about those pesky memories about that dweeby brother and foolish mother. I know! Let's just make those go oopsie-bye-bye! Hahahahahaha!"

Corundum looked as Tira took a small black vial from the table, opened it and took a sniff. Her face seemed to darken, but then she laughed even harder. Suppressing her growing rage and disgust, Corundum maintained her focus as she moved her hand to her blade. It sang a single note as it was drawn ever so slightly.

* * *

"Mother, after all you did for us. All the torment you faced...why?"

"This blade is evil, but it is powerful. With it, I can bring her back."

"How can you know for sure? I've learned a lot in my short journey, mother. I know this blade feeds on souls, how can it possibly do her any good?"

"It's the only hope I have. I need to..."

"No, you don't!" Patroklos raised his voice. At any other time he would have broken into hysterics, but his mind was strangely clear.

"Patroklos..."

"Tell me, how many lives are you willing to take to get her's back? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? Is it really worth killing all those people just to get her back?"

"She's your sister!"

"And I think she would agree with me!"

Sophitia made no response, either from shock or scorn.

"Pyrrha was so guilty that she was the reason you fought for that blade. If she had a choice, she would take her own life rather than see you do this."

There was silence for a moment.

"You've grown, Patroklos."

"I wanted to be like you, mother. I wanted to be strong and resolute." Patroklos wiped away a tear forming in his eye.

"It seems this is unavoidable, then."

"Fate is cruel, but I chose this path, and you've chosen yours. Mother, prepare yourself!"

As he said this, his weapons began shining bright blue. Blue crystals grew from the centre of the Orbis shield, encasing it and forming a hexagonal guard. The sword also changed form into something more resembling a sabre. He didn't understand how, but Patroklos was holding Soul Calibur in his hands.


End file.
